


The Wind Began To Howl

by PhantombMoll



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other, Sort Of, crush to friends to romance, i guess, intial attraction leads to friendship and feelings get all mixed up then romance, might even throw in a love potion at somepoint for fun, real slow burn, relatively canon compliant I mean as much as fanfic with oc's can be, scooby gang saves the day a lot, slow slow burn though, starts mid way through season three, that kind of thing, tropey as all hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 02:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 37,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22008529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantombMoll/pseuds/PhantombMoll
Summary: The Scooby gang has a new demon to deal with. A ghost of a vampire who only seems to prey on the old, sick or already dying. Meanwhile Giles seems to have a new crush in the form of not-so-supernaturally averse Tea Shop owner Maria. Can love prevail where demons thrive? Is Giles ever going to be allowed to get his woman?Real slow burn Giles x OC, all the Scooby Gang.
Relationships: Angel/Buffy Summers, Daniel "Oz" Osbourne/Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles/Original Female Character(s), Tara Maclay/Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris/Anya Jenkins, Xander Harris/Willow Rosenberg
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	1. Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not going to disclaimer, of course I don't own Buffy. The only thing I own is the original stuff I've come up with for this fic.  
> I've only just gotten into Buffy (I know late to the party!) and I LOVE IT. I love the tropes, the romance, the comedy, the fun. I love all of it and I knew I wanted to write something for it. I thought about writing something with Spike because I love him but I decided instead to write something with Giles. This starts about half way through season 3 (just before Wish) as I'm only half-way through season 4 in watching.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“What sort of monster feeds on the already weak?” Giles was talking to himself more than anyone else in the room but as usual there was a reply waiting from Xander.

“I mean probably one that really enjoys that bit of extra misery with his food.”

“Maybe and its definitely a vampire?” Giles pointed his question to Buffy and Willow who had been in the morgue investigating a demon that had been stealing body parts when they’d stumbled across a corpse with fang marks in its neck. Not unusual in Sunnydale, what was unusual was that the corpse in question wasn’t that of a healthy young person. The corpse was an old woman, who was already dying. Something was amiss, at the point of confusion the demon stealing body parts arrived which Buffy quickly dispatched of but now there was a whole new problem.

“Yes, teeth marks were a dead giveaway.” Buffy nodded.

“Could it be a one off? Like maybe the vampire didn’t feel like fighting for his food.” Willow shrugged.

“It’s not like humans are usually that hard to catch.” Oz added.

“It doesn’t make any sense, all my reading and my encounters with our fang friends, they’ve always mentioned that certain blood just doesn’t taste nice, the already dead or dying would be incredibly unappealing.” Giles pointed out scratching his head, glasses dangling by their arm from his mouth.

“You’re right.”

“Angel!” Buffy beamed as Angel sauntered into the library.

“Which means your vampire probably doesn’t want to feed but doesn’t realise there’s another way. Feeding on those about to die would sustain you, just not incredibly well.” Angel pointed out.

“I’m into the hospital records, its gunna take me a day to find out when this all started though. This is a lot of information.” Willow said looking up at Giles. “There are a lot of people with puncture wounds to the neck on their autopsy and this system isn’t amazingly well built for cross referencing.”

“As long as I don’t have to visit a morgue.” Xander replied with a shudder.

#*#

“Kava is very good for stress relief if that’s what you’re looking for, if it’s the taste you’re not fond of I can mix something more to your taste. Kava can be very Earthy but this one is better than most.”

“No, no this’ll be fine.” Giles said, his mind was firmly fixed on the database Willow was building and not on the tea in his hand, that was until he got to the counter and looked up.

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble, actually it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. Funny because I was never very good at Chemistry.”

“I ah- ah-“ Giles’ mouth opened and shut like a fish a few times. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d expected from the proprietor of the new tea shop that had set up in Sunnydale. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the woman stood before him. Her smile had knocked him for six and it felt like his brain wouldn’t reconnect. She had long thick dark hair that fell in waves around her shoulders and face, full cheeks that lifted with her smile and made hazel eyes twinkle.

“I suppose mixing tea is in the taste though, not much room for tasting chemicals that might burn your insides awa-“ She stopped talking and looked apologetic. “Sorry, my mouth tends to run a little sometimes.”

“No- not a problem, at all.” Giles replied, it felt like his whole mind had gone blank and he couldn’t quite reconnect the dots.

“This one is very good, as long as you’re not allergic to hazelnut. There’s just a hint, some sarsaparilla and cinnamon too.” The woman said gesturing to the small box of tea on the counter. “You’re going to want to brew it for seven minutes, in a tea pot. I don’t think I need to tell you that though if that’s an English accent I detected.”

“Yes, yes I see. I mean I can hear you’re not a native American.” Giles smiled daring to look her in the eye again.

“No, Oxford girl. Though I have been in America a while now, just not here. My father and I moved to Sunnydale after he got sick and, well, Sunnydale seemed in need of a teashop.”

“You’re not wrong, god I’ve missed good tea. I usually order it from overseas, but I’ve been somewhat behind.” Giles replied on a laugh. “Rupert Giles.” He said holding out a hand. “Most people just call me Giles.”

“Maria Bingley.” She said taking his hand to shake it. “Most people just call me Maria.” She teased.

“Ah, Meryton- it makes sense now.” Giles said, referring to the name of the tea shop. Meryton Tea, a reference to the fictional town near the Bingley’s home in Pride and Prejudice.

“I think you’re one of the first people to get the connection. Well, when I say people, I mean men, there have been a lot of rather excited teenage girls in here.” Maria replied. “And a few English teachers.”

“I’m disappointed I only just made the connection. I really should have known that, being a librarian.” Giles replied.

“Well I hope you haven’t judged my small selection too harshly.” Maria gestured to two small bookcases in the corner of the shop, next to two tables, two comfy chairs and a wooden counter-top facing the window. Giles hadn’t even noticed it when he’d first walked in and then he’d become rather pre-occupied (in his own head) with the demon they were supposed to be hunting down.

“Not at all.” Giles replied looking back up at her with a smile. “My own charge over at the school is rather small.”

“I imagine much better organised than mine.”

“Well I can hardly judge that if I haven’t taken a good look.”

Suddenly the bell above the door tinkled and there were three new bodies in the shop.

“Giles, there you are.” Xander said between catching his breath.

“We’ve been looking all over.” Willow said suddenly stopping to look around. “Oh, this place is cool. Is that-“ Xander cut Willow off as she wandered over to a locked glass cabinet.

“Yes, cool. Now Giles there’s been another-“ Xander paused on seeing Maria. “Who’s your friend?” He asked leaning on the counter.

“Xander, this is Maria Bingley. Maria this is Xander Harris, a _student_ at Sunnydale.” Giles said through gritted teeth.

“Mature, student, above my years.” Xander said wiggling his eyebrows.

“You needed something?” Giles asked cutting him off.

“You, we need you. Willow found something in the medical region and we need- uhm- help.” Oz said trying to talk in code whilst glancing at Maria.

“Is that silver tip jasmine?” Willow asked excitedly.

“You know it?” Maria smiled stepping out from behind the counter and coming to stand next to cabinet.

“Of course, you can use it in sp-“ Willow started but Giles coughed to stop her from saying too much.

“Spells? Yes, love spells and divination I believe. Although I believe regular jasmine can be used for that too.” Maria said matter of factly causing all four of them to look at her like she’d asked for a liver. “If you believe in that kind of thing of course.” She added.

“Indeed. Right well we should be going then. I believe I owe you-“ Giles said starting to fish in his pockets.

“It’s okay, it’s on the house.” Maria smiled.

“Oh no, no I can’t-“

“Maybe you can help me organise my small selection into something more, Sunnydale friendly.” Maria gestured to the bookcase with a smile.

“I can’t do-”

“Giles, kind of think you can, when we have- uhm- reports to get to.” Xander said hurriedly. “Willow!” Xander hissed before grabbing Willow by the arm and dragging her away from the counter.

“I should-“ Giles gestured to Willow, Oz and Xander. “Thank you.”

“Like I said, you can pay me back in organisation.” Maria nodded before stepping behind the counter as three giggling schoolgirls entered the shop and took up seats near the window.

~*~

“Where have you been?” Buffy asked as Giles walked back into the library tea in a brown bag still in his hand.

“Flirting with a hot woman in a tea shop.” Xander replied throwing himself into a chair with a grin on his face.

“I was not flirting.” Giles replied.

“Gooey eyed then.” Xander said. “Not surprising really, she was-“ Xander stopped when everyone turned to look at him with that look on their faces that urged him to shut up.

“We think we’ve found it.” Buffy said gesturing to a book on the table. “One of the girls in Home Ec was talking about her Grandma having these weird dreams. We checked it out, she died, same marks on her neck and blood gone.”

“I’m not sure I’m following?” Giles narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“We think it’s a demon pretending to be a vampire.” Willow nodded. “Well, from what Taylor was saying about her Grandma’s dreams.”

“But you said you were sure it was a vampire.” Giles said to Buffy putting the tea into his office and stealing a smile at the brown bag, _on the house_.

“I was, well, I didn’t see it, but I said the teeth marks were a dead giveaway.” Buffy shrugged, pulling a face that said she had never really been sure about what had been attacking people. Causing Giles to tilt his head and give her his trademark slightly perturbed look.

“I finished the database though and most of the people affected are either really old or really sick. Already dying, we were right. They started about seven months ago. There’s about fifteen people so far that it’s gotten. All have puncture wounds, all have blood drained.” Willow pointed out.

“We found a demon in this book called a pretty.” Xander chipped in.

“Preta.” Oz corrected as Giles took the book off the table to read what they’d learnt.

“Preta- right. That, hungry ghost, because vamps and ghosts didn’t need to get anymore terrifying!” Xander cried.

“And they’re invisible, which is going to make this decidedly harder to catch if it is a Preta.” Giles rubbed his forehead with his finger and thumb causing Buffy to groan and slouch further into her chair. “I still don’t think we should rule out vampires though, not with what angel told us.”


	2. Torn Pages and Tea Leaves

Maria was humming to herself as she set about getting the tea tray ready. Her mind kept flitting between the task at hand and the Librarian who’d come into the tea shop. Her mind also kept replaying the conversation and wondering if she’d made as much of an idiot of herself as she thought. Honestly who talked about burning up insides and chemistry in a first sentence.

Besides all that he was probably very married. Handsome man like that, from England, wouldn’t be single long not if there was any truth to women being very taken with a British accent. Which, given what Maria had seen was probably true. He was the first man in the seven months she’d been here that had given her pause. Sunnydale seemed populated with mostly teenagers and then the men were, well married or sunshine beach boys or slightly macho and that was just at the Espresso Cup and in Meryton. Maybe her brain was running with that flash of attraction she felt because it hadn’t been able to in so long but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Maria and her father had moved to America eight years ago and Sunnydale, seven months ago after he’d gotten sick. Maria had no idea why her father had chosen Sunnydale but one day he’d suggested it, informed her that it was a perfect place for her to set up the tea shop she’d always dreamed of and Maria had been hard-pressed to resist.

“Dad, I brought you some tea it should help with the-“ Maria pushed the door open holding the tray to her hip with one hand but stopped on seeing the two rather large suited men stood in front of her father’s desk. “-I didn’t realise you had clients, sorry.”

“Maria-“ Her father stepped up from the desk a little too quickly and the suited men turned to face her, revealing a third in the process. They parted slightly so she could put the tea tray down.

“Now there’s something you don’t see every day, what a lovely daughter you have.” The third man said. He was short, a thinning head of hair and a look about him that gave Maria a bad feeling. He was almost rat-like and the way he appraised her made an uncomfortable feeling creep up her spine.

“Tea and biscuits, how lovely of you- Maria- was it?” he held out a hand for her to shake and when she took it, he leaned in and kissed her fist looking back at her father.

“Yes, thank you Maria.” Her father replied with a smile that said he was a little embarrassed to have been brought tea in front of clients.

“I just wanted to tell you I won’t be at the shop tomorrow. I told Brienne I’d cover her piano lessons up at the school. Her mother is-“ Maria started before she could think. She stopped quickly looking between the men and chewing her lip. “But now is probably not the best time.”

“Not right now.” Her father replied with a warm, if slightly strained smile.

Maria looked between her father and the other men for a moment. She was trying to figure out if something was wrong or if she’d just walked in on something private. Since getting sick her father saw most of his law clients at the house, in his office. Usually not so late but this wasn’t the first time Maria had overstepped her welcome in regard to an important meeting. There was no reason to think anything was untoward, except the slow ill feeling creeping up her spine. That could just have been because the kiss to her fist had made her uncomfortable though, and of course the fact she’d been reading a lot of thrillers lately.

“Pleasure to meet you Maria.” The man who’d kissed her fist said with a slight bow.

Maria gave a nod of her head and left closing the door behind her. The voice in her head was probably right, that ill-feeling creeping up her spine was probably just one too many stories. Maybe she ought to put the Christie away for the evening and read something a little more romantic.

#*#

Maria turned and turned again. Sunnydale High was quite confusing in its layout. All she wanted was to find the music room, but she was starting to regret ever agreeing to cover for Brienne. The directions had been useless, but then geography had never been her strong suit.

“Maria?” Giles caught himself, using her first name. Given their rather brief encounters it didn’t feel entirely right. “Miss Bingley, what are you doing here?” He asked veering off course and heading down the corridor towards her.

Relief washed over Maria on seeing a familiar face. She’d definitely romanticised that moment in the tea shop between them. It had barely been a conversation and yet she’d thought about it most of the evening. She’d gotten swept up in one romance novel or another and it had fed into her mood, and her daydreams. Flashes of Rupert Giles sweeping her off her feet in the tea shop were incredibly embarrassing in the light of day and she was grateful that no one could see inside her head. Her cheeks coloured a little with embarrassment as he moved towards her.

“Getting lost by all accounts, you don’t know where the music room is do you?” She asked. When she turned to him with that smile it knocked him for six again. His brain took a moment to reconnect and his want to grin was replaced with confusion.

“I-I thought you owned the tea shop?” Giles asked looking confused.

“I do.” She replied peering into one classroom and then another. “You couldn’t point me in the right direction could you. Brienne did tell me, but I’m completely lost.”

“Ah yes, it’s this way-“ Giles gestured with a hand. “Forgive me, are you looking for someone?” Giles looked at her again his brow worrying back into confusion. 

“Oh no, I have a lesson to get to.” Maria replied. “I didn’t stop you from doing something did I?”

“A lesson?” Giles almost stopped in his tracks. He suddenly felt like flaying himself, she was a student and he’d been, well he’d been thinking some rather base thoughts about her in moments of quiet. Brief encounter or no there was something about her that had lodged itself in his mind in a way that a woman hadn’t in a while. God, he wanted Buffy to punch him in the face. How could he- but she couldn’t be a student. She _owned_ the tea shop. She’d said as much, he was sure of it and she was older, she looked older, there was no way she was a student unless something was amiss-

“Yes.” Maria said and then paused to see why he was no longer in step with her. “Oh god not like that, no. Goodness no my high school days are well behind me, 20 years behind me in fact. Give or take.”

Giles hoped she couldn’t see the relief that washed over him.

“No, my friend, Brienne- she comes into Meryton a lot. She teaches music but her grandmother is sick. She was telling me yesterday. They don’t think she’s got very long and she’s been sliding down hill. She was worried about some of her AP music students, she’s been giving them extra piano lessons and she was worried about letting them down. I offered to cover for her.” Maria said without missing a breath. “And you didn’t need to know all that, I’m sorry, my mouth tends to just keep on running sometimes and I know I should stop talking but I just can’t seem to and-“

Maria stopped worrying her fingers between her hands in a way that made Giles want to take them and tell her to stop.

Maria knew she had a problem with talking too much, she’d been very much made aware of it her whole life. Sometimes it was nerves, to fill the silence, sometimes it was nerves that turned to apologies that just ran and ran. Sometimes she just got so excited or passionate she didn’t realise she’d run on until the whole room was looking at her and no one else was talking.

“Sorry.” She apologised again looking anywhere but him and giving Giles a moment to appraise her curiously, because she was a curious thing and he wanted to know more. She was like a thread he wanted to pull on to see where it led. A mystery to unravel.

“You play piano?” Giles asked her, mouth picking up at the corner.

“I do, nothing Albert Hall standard but I used to play a lot in my youth, and I don’t think you ever really lose it. When I get the chance, I do like to flex my fingers along the ivories.” Maria replied. “Do you play?”

“Not piano no, Guitar.” Giles replied. Moments of a misspent youth slid through his mind and he wondered if Maria would believe his line about Pink Floyd. Probably not.

“Are we talking Sex Pistols Rock Star or more Country Chet Atkins?” Maria asked.

“Oh, I think I’m a little old for Rock Stardom.” Giles laughed.

“Nonsense didn’t the Pistols recently reunite for a tour?”

“Yes, a few years ago now I think?” Giles replied.

“Maybe we should form a band.” Maria laughed. “We can call it Torn Pages and Tea Leaves.”

“Would I get more free tea?” Giles joked.

“Maybe, maybe I could repay everyone who listened in tea.” Maria laughed.

“I do hope you aren’t giving too much away in return for favours and music. Doesn’t seem the most feasible business plan, though I suppose it would make you popular amon-” Giles tailed off as he saw the look of slight horror on Maria’s face and realised what he might have accidentally been implying. _Open mouth and insert foot Giles._

“Oh no, no I didn’t, I meant-“

“I think I got what you meant.” Maria said, jaw slightly tight, she stalked ahead as they rounded a corner and he felt he’d accidentally pressed on a nerve he hadn’t meant too.

“Maria, I didn’t mean to imply-“ Giles said trying to keep pace with her.

“That what?” She asked daring him to say it.

“I spoke without thought and-“ Giles started to try and explain himself.

“Well it’s good to know it’s only subconsciously you think I might be some sort of Harlot.” Maria fired back.

“Maria I didn’t-“ Giles said trying to explain himself but stopping when she turned back to him with a fire in her eyes that he hadn’t really pegged her for. He’d definitely stepped on a nerve and he really hadn’t meant too.

“For your information, not that it’s any of your business who I do and do not give _anything_ too. I don’t just give away whatever to whomever. I’m not some- well- I’m not some, some- I’m not like that. I was just being nice and you seemed in a rush and- and-“ She paused to figure out what it was she wanted to say but her words weren’t coming out right. Why had she given him the tea for free? Because she’d swooned a little? Because she’d been in a pleasant mood? Because he seemed in a rush? Seemed nice? Because he was a first-time customer? She didn’t know, she’d just done it, she hadn’t thought.

“and I have more business sense than that.” Maria ground out tightly before stalking off up the corridor and leaving Giles perplexed. He really hadn’t meant to offend it had just slipped out. He could feel he’d touched a nerve he just wasn’t sure which bit of his phrasing had done it. Maybe it really was about her business sense and not about the implied nature of her…. Virtue. A reaction like that from a woman would usually make him want to walk in the other direction but there was that feeling again as he shook his head, the feeling of a thread he wanted to follow. That fire in her eyes had been, well, impressive for a woman who appeared all sweetness and light.

“Who was that?” Buffy’s voice appeared behind him, dragging him from his thoughts, quickly followed by Xander’s.

“What did you do to hot tea lady? And what is she doing here?”

“That was hot tea lady.” Buffy wrinkled her nose before shrugging her shoulders.

“What did you to her?” Xander asked stepping in front of Giles. “You’re usually so smooth with the ladies _Ripper_.” Xander teased.

“All this over tea.” Giles groaned pushing his finger and thumb up under his glasses and into the corner of his eyes and ignoring Xander.


	3. Napoleon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudo so far! It's nice to know people are enjoying this!

It was late when Maria pulled up at the house, she’d left the shop open unintentionally late as she was helping some English Majors with their work. In another life she thought she could have been a teacher, especially something like English. Maybe that’s what would have happened to her if they’d stayed in England and she’d come to her senses about waitressing and reading. Maybe she’d have decided that running a shop or a café or a tearoom wasn’t for her and that really what she wanted was too teach. She was still thinking about it as she got out of the car and looked up to see the three men from the other day leaving the house.

She’d had to park across the road because it appeared one of the neighbours was having some sort of party and the street was lined with unfamiliar cars. She was grateful for it now though as she slid back into the car and watched the three men get into a big black car; tinted windows, slightly longer in the middle but not enough to be a limousine. Maria watched the shorter man look back up to the house and her eyes followed the direction of his head to the first-floor window where there was a flash of curtain.

The ill feeling that had crept up her spine the day before was there again. Settling into a twist in her stomach. Something was going on, this feeling she was having wasn’t just because she’d been reading too many thrillers.

Maria sat for a minute trying to come up with something that wasn’t amazingly far-fetched. Her father had always been level-headed, successful. His law firm in the UK is what had enabled them to move here so easily. He’d never taken drugs as far as she knew, except the odd bit of cannabis in his younger days. He hadn’t been involved with _any_ woman since her mother, let alone the wrong sort. He was principled and that had occasionally gotten him into trouble, but he’d never done anything outside of the law and he certainly wouldn’t have gotten involved with criminals.

Maria shook her head, it probably was that she was reading too much, probably just her overthinking things. It was probably nothing. These men- it was probably just some old rich businessman wanting to get his affairs in order, change his will and he needed bodyguards because he was- well- rich.

She was letting her imagination run away with her. Letting the world of mobsters and murder and loan sharks from her latest novels infiltrate her world view. Maria looked up into the rear-view and saw her father’s car pulling out of the drive. She put her key back into the ignition, then shook her head again. She was being ridiculous, and she certainly wasn’t going to follow her father on some night-time errand. If he ended up at some woman’s house or heaven forbid a strip club, she’d probably not feel amazingly comfortable coming eye to eye with him in the morning.

No, she was going to grab the groceries from the back of the car, go in, make herself a cocoa and then sit and read whatever trashy thing she’d picked up in the grocery store.

~*~

“You’ve really quite the collection there, I can see why people like coming. And you haven’t had any problems with theft?” Giles asked wandering back over to the counter. He’d been looking at the books she’d acquired on the shelves. Some were books she’d read and no longer wanted, books she felt should be passed along to someone who might get more enjoyment out of them. Others were one’s she’d bought in a charity shop to fill up the shelves. There was quite the collection of occult books there too, a by-product of the charity store Giles suspected. They were all decidedly shabby and well read, well used, which Maria had explained she had a fondness for as she made them tea. Which also explained Meryton’s décor choice.

Giles hadn’t intended to come in here, but he’d been on his lunch hour and decided to go for a walk. He’d stopped outside Meryton and had a small debate with himself about going in, just in case she was still angry.

“Hmm-“ Was Maria’s only response to his comments as she stirred her own tea for what must have been the eighteenth time.

“Maria are you okay you seem a little... distracted?” Giles asked as she continued to stir. Contrary to thinking he’d find her angry she was bright as ever, if a little distracted and had immediately set them out a tea tray with biscuits and a teapot. Giles had made himself at home on the stool next to the counter, Maria the opposite side. They were the only two in there, her last customers leaving to, what Giles suspected was return to school.

“Yes, yes.” Maria still wasn’t in focus. She was running her finger around the edge of her teacup. Maybe she was still angry about the other day.

“Look Maria if this is about the other day, I really didn’t mean to imply-“ Giles started to try and get an apology out. He wanted things to go back to how they been those first two meetings. Conversation had been easy and fun, and he didn’t want his misstep to mean he didn’t get to pull on that thread.

“What? Oh, oh yes, no that’s not what I was thinking about. I know you didn’t mean to imply I was some sort of Harlot you just touched a nerve. A big heartbroken mess of nerve because I’m not. Not that I’ve got anything against women who are, or who enjoy that sort of thing. You know girl power, free sex and all that but it’s just not for me. I’m a romantic, a sweep me off my feet, barely-a-kiss-until-the-third-date kind of girl. Which you didn’t need to know any of.” Maria rambled, her fingers worrying again like they had the other day when she’d gone on. She was pacing backwards and forwards too and when she stopped her cheeks had coloured slightly and she apologised again.

“But yes, the other day its forgotten, honestly.” She pressed her hands into the counter as he leant against the other side. Before starting to stir her tea again.

“Can I ask what you were thinking about then? Before you stir right through your teacup.” Giles asked gesturing to the tea, which she stopped stirring immediately and removed the temptation by putting the spoon on the side.

“It’s nothing, really. I’ve just been reading too many thriller novels and my father has some new... interesting clients is all. It’s nothing.” She picked the teacup up, so she’d have something to do with her hands, it had gone from hot to luke-warm in the time she’d been playing with it.

“Interesting how?” Giles straightened up, demon senses starting to tingle like they did when anyone mentioned something being odd, because that’s exactly what Maria’s interesting had implied.

“I don’t know, just creepy little man you know a bit like Snyder.” Maria replied still distracted.

“You think Snyders a-“ Giles replied looking at her with a smile on his face. There was definitely more fire in her than he’d first thought.

“Creepy little man? Don’t you?” Maria looked up at him and seemed to realise what she’d said. “Sorry that was probably a little mean, I’ve only met him once, no, twice but he just seems like a little Napoleon the sort to be flanked by two brutes to make him seem more powerful.”

“This Snyder or your father’s friend?” Giles asked

“My father’s client, he’s a lawyer. Since we came to Sunnydale he works mostly out of the house, out of his office. This man was, they were all just- I can’t explain it but he kissed my hand-” Maria wrinkled her nose distastefully.

“If you think there’s something wrong, maybe you need to talk to him, your father I mean. Not the Napoleon who kissed your hand.” Giles suggested, putting his own teacup back on its saucer.

“Hmm, maybe. Anyway, you don’t need to hear about that. I’m sure you came here for something, what do you need?” Maria added, seeming to shake herself out of distraction and change the subject.

“Actually, I just came in to peruse your library, hoping you wouldn’t want to throw teabags at my head for-” Giles started wandering back towards the bookcases.

“Almost implying I was a Harlot?” Maria said matter-of-factly and stepping out from behind the counter.

“Yes that.” Giles said rather sheepishly.

“Honestly its forgotten.” Maria said leaning against the bookcase. “It’s me who should be apologising anyway. I should have seen the humour in it.” She tapped the bookcase absentmindedly as their eyes met on a smile, Giles felt something pull at him again.

That thread again, that thread that wanted to be pulled on. That feeling that wanted him to step closer despite the fact it was far too early to be making any kind of moves. That thread that wanted to push the hair behind her ear just to see if the skin of her cheek was really as soft as it looked. Giles was just starting to raise his hand when the bell tinkled, and the moment was lost as Maria sought to welcome the new custom.

#*#

“Where’ve you been?” Buffy asked as he stepped back into the library.

“Ah- uhm- lunch.” Giles replied, which was a half-truth. He had been meaning to pick up lunch, but it had slipped his mind what with talking to Maria and then thinking about how he’d wanted to-

“There was another hit last night.” Buffy said interrupting his train of thought before it could go anywhere. 

“How do you know that?” Giles asked looking around at them.

“Oh, I set up an alert for every time one comes in.” Willow said proudly. “You know, a body with all the blood gone and the fang marks, and the- oldness.”

“Yeah turns out she’s a teacher here, well not her it was her mom, but still that really sucks.” Buffy added.

“Who?” Giles asked trying to cycle through teachers he knew in his head.

“Miss Zuma.” Buffy said a little too perkily causing Xander and Willow to shoot her a look that said she needed to be more sympathetic.

“I think her first name is Brienne, Oz told me she prefers the AP kids to call her that. She’s super musically talented. I wonder if grief will affect her playing?” Willow pondered.

“You said it was her mother?” Giles picked up a printout off the table, a list Willow had put together of the victims and their ailments.

“Yup.” Buffy said confidently as Willow nodded along.

“No wait, grandmother.” Willow said double checking the screen in front of her.

“Brienne, that rings a bell.” Giles said looking over the list again. “Maria said Brienne told her that her grandmother had been sick. That she’d been sliding down hill, which could mean whatever this is had been feeding longer than one night. Willow do you think you could pull the records of the last few victims.” Giles asked.

“Already on it.” Willow said tapping a pile of papers next to her.


	4. MOO

“The whole thing is just terrible and now I hear they’re saying it’s witchcraft. I know it’s children and it’s sensitive and it riles people up, but there seem to be some fundamental questions being overlooked.” Maria was stood with her hands wrapped around a mug leaning back against the counter as Giles, who’d just finished pacing finally took a sip from his tea. She hadn’t told him what was in it, he’d been so worked up when he’d come in that she’d just put together her best mind clearing, de-stressing concoction. Which in this case consisted of; Mint, Sage, Lavender, Passionflower, Chamomile, Alfalfa and Dandelion, amongst other things.

He’d been stalking past the shop, brow furrowed and talking to himself when she’d knocked on the window and startled him. He’d come in and in hushed tones ranted about MOO for a full five minutes in which time she’d put the tea in his hand.

Maria had noticed that over the past few days she’d become a refuge for some of the more alternative looking and thinking members of Sunnydale. She’d heard a lot of talk about Mothers Opposed to the Occult and she had to say she didn’t agree, much in the way she didn’t agree with blaming books, movies or games for the one percent of the population that went crazy after reading or watching something. When someone wearing a big MOO badge had come in and all but cleared out her customers she’d played dumb and eventually they’d given up and not even asked to put a poster up in the window.

“I know there’s a lot of grief but all they’re doing is taking focus away from the real crime.” Maria said dipping a biscuit into her tea.

“It’s definitely more likely to be some sort of ritual killing given the symbols but to jump into a literal witch hunt.” Giles grimaced again. His hair seemed to get fuzzier the more frustrated he got, probably because he kept running his hands through it. Maria knew she should be focused on the more important things happening right now, but she couldn’t help thinking about how adorable he looked. Actually, when he’d first come in all riled up in blue and tweed, she’d had to refocus on what he was saying a few times because it was very attractive. There was this fight in him that she’d wondered if he had. Still waters run deep and all that.

She liked him. She knew she should be thinking more about local events, the things with her father but, Maria’s mind kept wandering to Giles in moments of quiet. When she should be reading, when she was making tea, when she was trying not to think about him at all. Maybe it was because she’d been reading too much romance but maybe it wasn’t, maybe there was something here that she wanted to pursue.

“Symbols?” Maria asked when she’d swallowed the biscuit.

“Yes, the children, the one’s on their hands.”

“And there’s nothing on the internet that could help? About the symbol I mean. I’m not incredibly computer literate but I know there are all sorts of pooled resources on there for things like this.” Maria dipped her biscuit again and took another bite.

“I hadn’t really looked, better to leave the mystery solving to the police I think.” Giles said wrapping his hands around the teacup. Jenny would be disappointed he hadn’t thought to consult the internet.

“Well yes I know that, but they’re not the most forward-thinking police department.” Maria replied

“Have you been reading mysteries?” Giles asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Maria replied trying and failing to hide a smile.

“You’ve already said your current reading material influences your attitude. You sound like you’re going to launch an investigation.” Giles reflected her smile back at her and Maria felt a shift in her chest. It was such a small piece of information and yet it meant something, to her anyway. A fundamental part of her and he already recognised it, not with scorn or mocking but with a gentle tease. It made her heart leap in a funny way.

“Maybe I will if it’ll help.” Maria replied.

“Maria this is dangerous, people have been killed.” Giles said seriously.

“And the police are looking in the wrong places, I mean honestly confiscating your books.” Maria’s brow furrowed in such an adorable way that had they been dating Giles would have kissed her. The flash across his mind caused him to play with his glasses. Taking them off as though not being able to see her would help chase away these feelings.

“Yes, well I think that has more to do with that Napoleonic homunculus.” Giles said angrily.

“Homunculus?” Maria smirked at him brow raised.

“You were right he is a creepy little man.” Giles replied taking a biscuit off the plate on the counter. ”So, you don’t think it was witches?” Giles asked her. It was refreshing to get some sense out of someone considering he was surrounded, in adult terms, at the school by people intent on burning every copy of Macbeth to ensure their offspring weren’t influenced by its witches.

“I think we don’t have all the facts and mounting a literal witch hunt is a bad idea. Besides if it helps you get your books back, I think I could help. I can be quite the Miss Marple when I put my mind to it.” She said confidently.

“Sticking your nose into other people’s business?” Giles teased over the edge of his cup.

“Solving crimes.” Maria replied narrowing her eyes at him, if he’d been close enough she’d have made a playful swipe at him.

“It’s very kind of you but I think I’ll just take the tea and maybe another of those biscuits. Those are helping more than enough. Besides you’re probably already on MOO’s bad side by not having posters up. I’d rather not have you burned down for being on the wrong end of a witch hunt.” The anger in her voice could just be because she didn’t agree with what was happening but the fact there was a protective edge when she talked about getting his books back made his stomach flutter. Giles checked his watch absently before rubbing his neck and then checking it again. God it had gotten late.

“I hadn’t realised how late it was, shouldn’t you be shutting up for the evening?” Giles asked an edge of worry slipping into his voice.

“I already have.” Maria pointed out, gesturing to the open sign which was facing inwards.

“And you just let me keep you?” Giles said sounding apologetic.

“I don’t mind, you seemed like you needed to talk and I’ve only a crossword waiting for me at home.” Maria replied running fingers through the front of her hair and then tucking it behind her ear. 

“You know you really should have said, I wouldn’t have gone on so long.” Giles repeated his apology as guilt settled in his stomach that he might have kept her from something.

“Really Rupert it’s fine. Like I said, crossword.” Maria replied taking another biscuit out of the jar at the counter and biting into it. They lapsed into quiet for a moment as she ate and he drank, Giles was tapping his fingers against his teacup to the music that was playing through the shop’s sound system. Something old, something 70’s. He knew the tune. He knew the words, but he just couldn’t quite remember the name of the song and it was beginning to itch at him. 

“What is this?” Giles asked muttering chorus lyrics as he tried to figure it out.

“No idea.” Maria replied pausing to listen to the song for a moment.

“How can you have no idea? It’s playing in your shop and I thought you, I thought you loved music.” Giles said.

“Because I can play piano?” Maria asked raising her eyebrows.

“And you knew about the sex pistols going on tour.” Giles replied.

“Because I read it somewhere, not because I’m an expert. I have a good memory when it comes to things I read.” Giles straightened up a little, making a face. “This song, it might be on the back of the tape case. My mum used to record Radio Caroline. There’s hundreds of hours of it. I just keep changing the tape every day.” Maria admitted, Giles looked slightly impressed by her mother’s dedication to recording the radio show. She walked to the back of the shop, where there was a stereo set up with what appeared to be hundreds of cassette tapes on one side and about fifty on the other. She started looking through them before finding the empty one.

“You look disappointed.” Maria said as she turned back to Giles with the empty cassette case in her hand.

“No, no why would I be disappointed?” Giles replied, how could he be disappointed about anything to do with Maria, unless of course she turned out to be a demon of some sort. Mind control through tea maybe. Giles looked down at his teacup, brow furrowing a little.

“Because you thought you’d found a music fanatic and what you’ve actually found is a bibliophile.” Maria said chewing the inside of lip.

“Now why on earth would _that_ be disappointing?” Giles replied and he wasn’t lying. Yes, he’d been disappointed to realise in that moment that perhaps her musical knowledge or even taste might not match his. That the picture he’d been building of her since their first meeting had been cracked slightly, but the fact she referred to herself as a bibliophile quickly pasted over that crack. If anything, it made more sense, made the parts of her he was forming a picture from fit better.

“If it’s any consolation I’ll listen to pretty much anything. Although I’m not amazing with artists and band names, unless I really like the song. Here- maybe you can work out which song it is?” She said passing him the case.

Giles looked down the list, but nothing was sticking out to him. There were hours of music on the cassette, it would take an age to look through it and now he thought about it he should really be getting back to the library. Maria had brought up an interesting point about the internet, maybe he could get in contact with someone on there. Jenny would be disappointed that he hadn’t considered the internet earlier and he sent up a silent apology.

“I’m drawing a blank.” Giles said, his mind had been pulled back to current events and he wouldn’t be able to focus on finding the music now anyway. “I should also be going. I hadn’t realised how late it had gotten and I need to nip back to the library.”

“Here.” Maria stopped the tape and ejected it, sliding it back into the case and handing it back to Giles. “Take it with you and figure it out. It’ll drive you mad otherwise. You can bring it back next time you’re here for tea and biscuits. Now you do need to go because I have a crossword to get to.”

“Would you like me to wait whilst you lock up?” Giles asked her, running his fingers along the edges of the cassette case. He was torn, he needed to help figure out what was going on in the town, but he also wanted to stay here a little longer with her.

“No, no course not. I’ve got to cash up yet and a stock check. All very boring business things.” Maria shook her head and started to walk towards the door so she could unlock it and let him out. She didn’t really want him to go or, rather, she didn’t want to be without his company. She’d have followed him to the library if he’d asked. Helped with whatever he was going to look at, because he was going to investigate this she could tell.

He didn’t ask though.

“Maria-“ Giles was on the verge of asking her if she wanted to tag along, it was on the tip of his tongue but then a cold chill washed over him. Like someone throwing ice water over his head. Maria didn’t know anything about the Occult, about his true nature. She didn’t know about demons and vampires and Buffy. Didn’t know he was a Watcher and not just a librarian. He couldn’t ask her to come along. In fact, really, he couldn’t ask her to do anything. Even a date in reality was out of the question.

He could hardly open a meal with _‘so vampires, demons and most things from your nightmares are real, I’m a Watcher and the sixteen-year-old Buffy is a slayer and my charge’_. So, what did that leave? A double life? Lie to her about his position and the world. It wasn’t feasible given his lifestyle and then there was the danger involved.

“Nothing.” Giles finished looking back up at her with a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Be safe and I’ll, I’ll bring this back next time I’m passing.”

“Next time you’re in for tea and biscuits.” Maria smiled lingering at the door a little as he left, a feeling bubbling inside her that was making her grin like an idiot as she moved back into the shop.


	5. Just A Project

“Dad, I got you some tea, it’ll help with the migraine. I think we can open these curtains a little too the suns not so bright....” Maria bustled into her father’s office with a tea tray in her hands. It was musty and stuffy and couldn’t be good for his current condition. He had all the curtains drawn again and she was starting to worry.

Was this because of those men that she’d seen? She kept thinking about the short one looking back up at the window and her father driving off. Something was going on. Something was wrong but every time she tried to ask, he shrugged his shoulders and informed her everything was fine. Everything wasn’t fine. Not when he was holed up on the leather couch in his office like it was his new bed.

“I’ll open a window too.” She said cheerily grabbing hold of the curtain and starting to tug it gently open.

“Don’t!” How had he moved so quickly? His hand was tightly around her wrist stopping her from moving the curtain any further. He looked so different in the dark, it was almost scary, like she was suddenly aware that he wasn’t just her father anymore. Wasn’t just the strong bear of a man who’d protected her, who’d held her, who’d was a gentle straight arrow with a fierceness beneath. It was like she was suddenly aware that he was a person with long held secrets and things he wasn’t telling her.

“Don’t be daft.” Maria said, pulling her arm away and tugging the curtain so it opened a little more.

“I SAID DON’T” The voice that left him wasn’t her father. It was deep, an almost growl and he grabbed for her wrist again, an iron grip that she couldn’t twist away from. Had his hands always been that big? He’d always been stronger, stronger than her, but he’d never hurt her before.

“Dad-” Maria swallowed, there was steam in the air, like after boiling a kettle. Maria tried to pull her wrist away, but Charlie held it firm. Maria looked up into his face and exhaled sharply. Where once there had been wrinkles across his forehead there were now ridges, his face had changed shape. He was a monster. His teeth were fangs. Maria blinked, hoping it was a trick of the light, a psychological reaction to him hurting her. She knew in her heart that it wasn’t though.

“Dad you’re hurting me.” She said quietly, heart hammering in her chest. Charlie seemed to realise what he’d done and release her immediately, pulling the curtains back closed and standing with his back to her, fist curled into the curtains, knuckles turning white.

“Get out.” He said, his voice back to normal, though strained.

“Dad-” Maria said quietly.

“GET OUT!” When he turned again the ridges were back and that time Maria ran.

*

In the car she fumbled with the keys, hands shaking too much to get them into the ignition. She needed to take a moment to breathe. She could rationalise this, he was her dad, he wasn’t a monster. Maybe she’d been reading too much or it was the way the light reflected or maybe it was her imagination. Maybe it was something psychological because he’d never hurt her before, something like he appeared more monstrous than he was because she was scared.

It couldn’t be- he couldn’t be-

Maria inhaled then exhaled slowly, repeating until her heart had returned to some sort of normal rhythm. She needed a plan. She’d go back to the shop, which she’d closed whilst she nipped home to check on her dad, take him the tea for his migraine. She’d think about this a little more rationally, maybe look in a few of the books on the shelf that so far, she hadn’t taken seriously.

This was ridiculous. Her father wasn’t a monster.

His face had changed though and not just in anger. His whole face had shifted, the ridges, the teeth. Not just once but twice. So, what did that mean, logically she couldn’t be looking at an actual monster, people would think she was insane.

She wasn’t insane though. She knew she wasn’t.

There was the tiniest of thrills that travelled up her spine at the thought that every bit of mythology she’d come to love might have some truth in it. That legend might not simply be legend and that her long held belief about there being more out there could be true.

If she wasn’t insane then and she was thinking about this correctly. What had happened to her father? What happened seven months ago? Because that must be when all this started. Since then, since they’d moved here, he’d taken to mostly working at night, to staying out of the sun and- now she thought about it she never saw him eat much anymore.

No sunlight, pale, the ridges, the fangs, up all night.

Somebody had turned her father into a vampire.

Somebody had turned her father into a vampire and suddenly Maria’s mind felt blanker than ever. How was she supposed to separate fact from fiction here? She needed to arm herself in the only way she knew how – books.

~?~

Maria was distracted all afternoon at the shop. She took every occult book she’d picked up at the charity shop off the shelf and stacked them at the counter to go through. There was nothing about vampires though. Demons, witches, spells, some Egyptian gods and goddesses but vampires were mostly lacking. Which was when she realised, she needed a bigger collection and it just so happened she had a new friend with a large collection of supernatural readings at his hands.

“Oh, good you’re still here do you have any books on vampires?” Maria breezed into the library, immediately taking to the shelves, barely even a hello in Giles’ direction.

“Vamp- what?” Giles did a double take; it had been some days since he’d seen Maria.

He’d wanted to go back into Meryton, he’d wanted to talk to her. He’d wanted to talk to anyone about the upcoming Cruciamentum and Buffy. He needed to talk to someone about it and he felt Maria would understand on some level, would be able to look at things in a way that would bring a fresh perspective. Would either give him the strength to push back against the Council or allow him to see that potentially the Council were right in this archaic and barbaric practice.

Giles had told himself he was going to stay away though. He had vowed he wasn’t going to allow his feelings to continue, not given his realisation about their lives, about what he’d have to tell her. He’d vowed not to keep going in, in case these feelings were mutual, and Maria got hurt. Still he hadn’t been able to stay away completely and now here she was, breezing into the library looking flushed and slightly windswept. Beautiful with intent, whatever that intent was.

She was running her finger along the edges of the books, scanning the titles but he wasn’t sure what for.

“Maria are you okay?” Giles asked watching her closely. She couldn’t really want books on vampires, could she?

“Yes, so, do you have any books on vampires?” Maria asked, her smile was shorter today. Not the one that kept bowling him over and her brow was tight with what he assumed was worry. He watched her for a moment trying to catch a glimpse of her neck and check for fang marks. 

“There are a few yes but a lot of it’s in Latin.” Giles admitted leading her towards the shelf, which was one of many.

“That’s fine.” Maria said giving him another tight smile. Giles looked at her again, had she actually heard him when he’d said it was in Latin?

“You can read Latin?” Giles asked.

“Amongst other things.” Maria replied, with a gentle shrug of her shoulders as she continued to scan the shelves.

“Maria is everything okay?” Giles mind was turning over in his head. Logically it could be nothing. Maria did have an interest after all, and she had mentioned that reading influenced her state of mind. Maybe she had been over thinking things and wanted to be sure that the bump in the night she heard wasn’t a vampire.

“What? Yes, yes it’s just a project I’m working on that’s all.” Maria was still searching the shelves as she spoke to him.

“A project?” Giles asked his tone confused.

“Yes.” Maria replied as though it was the most normal thing in the world to undertake.

“About vampires?” Giles reiterated.

“Yes, now do you have a book or n- ah hah!” Maria pulled a book from the shelf and as she did her jumper slid back revealing fingerprints on her wrist. Deep purple bruises that weren’t going to fade easily. Giles felt his stomach turn over, his blood boil. Someone had done that to her, someone had grabbed her and hard, they’d hurt her.

“Who did that to you?” Giles asked his tone darkening, his eyes narrowing. If she was in danger, he wanted to help her. She had no idea what she was up against. She could get seriously hurt or worse- Giles choked off the thought.

“It’s nothing, I banged my arm.” Maria wrapped her arms around the book, pulling her jumper over her wrist and fixing him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“On someone’s closed palm?” Giles replied before he could stop himself. He knew he shouldn’t have said it, he was angry and worried though and it slipped out. He watched the shutters go down behind Maria’s eyes.

“I told you, I banged it, there’s a weird antler ornament in the shop and I got tangled on it that’s all.” Maria lied. “Look, Rupert, if you don’t want to lend me the book just say. It’s fine, I’ll find some sources elsewhere.” Maria said changing the subject.

“No, no here, take it.” Giles said.

“Thank you. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.” Maria said, before he could ask her if she wanted tea she was already halfway out of the library.

“Maria,” Giles had to jog to catch up to her, stopping in front of her. “Maria if you’re in trouble.” Giles stopped when she looked about to protest. “If you’re in any kind of danger, if you need help-”

“The only help I might need is more resources for what I’m working on.” Maria smiled at him, it didn’t touch her eyes again and he knew she was lying. He hoped to god she didn’t play poker because she’d lose a lot of money.


	6. Mobster Bolognese

“Did you guys hear the news?” Xander asked slamming a newspaper down into the middle of the library’s desk, causing Willow and Giles to flinch. Buffy as always remained calm, while Oz pulled the newspaper towards him. In the recent weeks the hospital and its potential blood sucking ghost had taken several back seats. There hadn’t been another killing since Miss Zuma’s mother and besides there had been other, more pressing matters.

The sisters of Jhe opening the hellmouth portal for one and Giles’ firing from the Watchers council for two. Patrolling the hospital was child’s play compared to recent events, but it was something they’d gotten back too.

“While you were out staking out the hospital somebody made a bolognaise out of this warehouse. Rumour has it the mob was involved.” Xander said nodding his head towards the newspaper which Giles took from Oz.

“I hardly think Buffy could have taken on the mob.” Giles said shooting Xander a glance over his glasses.

“I so could.” Buffy replied folding her arms across her chest. “Most mobsters are just like big demons, right?”

“Besides which, it’s hardly her job.” Giles pointed out, he opened the paper to the page the story was continued on and flattened it out on the table.

“I thought it was catching bad guys.” Xander replied, dropping into a chair and putting his feet up on the table.

“Sunnydale has a mob?” Willow asked, looking to Buffy for some sort of reassurance that that wasn’t the case.

“Yes, demons and generic hellspawn, not gangsters having fu-” Giles replied to Xander before he stopped, smoothing over a picture of three men exiting a car outside the warehouse where the mobsters had been killed, something about them was familiar.

“Fu? Fu what Giles Funky dance offs? Funny walks? I’m dying to know how that sentence ended?” Xander teased annoyingly.

“Sunnydale has a mob.” Willow repeated, her voice more worried.

“I think most places have some sort of mob, hopefully ours are demon-like.” Buffy replied. “In which case they’ll be easy to get rid of.” She reassured punching the air to show Willow she had nothing to worry about.

“Maria said she saw men similar to this leaving her father’s house, she said she was worried about him but put it down to too much reading.” Giles said, he was reaching for something. There was a connection there and he just had to let the wires touch, a little spark that was all he needed. It was like a word on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t quite realise. Music that he could hear but couldn’t articulate. It was right there-

“Ha! I KNEW IT hot tea lady is a demon!” Xander said waving his hands in the air and stopping Giles just before that connection was made.

“No that’s not what I’m saying, she came looking for a book on vamp-“ Giles gritted his teeth as he tried to put together the things Maria had told him, the events at the hospital and something in his not too distant memory that Angel had said.

“She came looking for a book on vampires?” Willow’s eyes widened.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Buffy cried.

There was too much noise and he was so close to the solution.

“Look Giles we all want to see you get back on the love-train buddy, but you can’t get sloppy just because the woman you have the hots for is showing all the signs of evil.” Xander was at it again and it was grating on him.

“Enough!” Giles snapped and the whole room fell deadly quiet. How could he have been so stupid? Maria had told him they’d moved to Sunnydale after her father had gotten sick. She’d told him about his unusual working hours, that she feared something bigger was wrong, that she was worried about him. She’d mentioned in passing about how she couldn’t seem to cook his favourite things anymore and she was worried it was her, that she was losing her touch. She’d mentioned in passing about the three men visiting at night and giving her an uneasy feeling and then she’d come in here looking for a book on vampires with marks on her arms and he’d just- he’d failed to put everything together, failed to help her, failed to protect her and wasn’t that part of his job fighting demons?

Yes, there’d been a lot going on, a lot weighing heavy on him, but he still should have realised. Giles was wrapping himself up in blanket after blanket of guilt when Buffy spoke and broke his train of thought.

“Giles if she came looking-”

“Buffy, I don’t think the vampire is Maria, I think it’s her father. She said they came to Sunnydale when he got sick, seven months ago which is when the killings at the hospital started.” Giles pointed out, now he had things clearer in his head he could explain things.

“And the mob?” Willow asked gently.

“It’s not unheard of for certain criminal factions to use the supernatural as punishment or even reward. If Maria’s father got involved with them and they turned him as punishment, maybe that’s why he really suggested the move to Sunnydale. From conversations with her, Maria’s father seems to have always been on the right side of the law.”

“And Angel did say that if whatever was feeding of the people in the hospital was a vampire, they, they might just not know there’s another way an-and might want to feed on people they wouldn’t hurt so much.” Willow pointed out.

“Maria said three men matching this description visited her father and they made her feel very uneasy. If they threatened her- she’s his daughter, he might have taken drastic measures to protect her.” Giles said pointing at the paper.

“If you’re right, if her father went on that kind of frenzy he could be in a crazy state, especially if all he’s been feeding on is sick people.” Oz pointed out.

“And if she thinks she can help him- what with reading the books.” The worried look reappeared on Willow’s face.

“Maria could be in very real danger.” Giles said solemnly.

“Then we have to find her, and them.” Buffy said standing up and walking over to the weapons cabinet.

#?#

It was all too much.

The paper, his face, the book, everything she’d put together.

Her father was a vampire and if she was reading right, he’d slaughtered a warehouse full of mobsters last night. The thought was turning her stomach over. She’d already been sick in the grocery store carpark.

Walking into a dark house, with a vampire in god knows what state was probably not a very good idea but what other option did she have? He was still her father. He still knew who she was. He _would_ know it was her.

Besides all the writing on vampires was inherently bias. Yes, they were killers and demons and all that, but they were still people too. Humans were just a part of the food chain for them. You couldn’t condemn all of them because of what they were. She was sure there must be good ones out there or at least ones who tried to live a better life, maybe survived off animals? Which really in the scheme of things; how different was that from living off humans?

Maria had to put her big girl knickers on. She had to be brave and strong no matter how scary this was. He was her father. He loved her. He’d been living in a house with her for seven months and hadn’t eaten her yet. He wasn’t going to eat her now.

Maybe she should have been armed but she was trying to go into this with a positive mindset and if she picked up a weapon it meant she wasn’t being positive and she was scared and it could turn this whole thing from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds.

Maria stopped at the door with her key in it and took a breath. She was going to be normal and bright and breezy.

“Dad?” She called into the house. It was dark, not a single light on, maybe he was out. “Dad?” She called again. Maria put the keys down on the side and flicked the living room light on.

The grocery bag dropped to the floor, jars within smashing as they connected with the hardwood.

“Hello Maria.” It was the short man from the paper. The short man who’d kissed her hand and made her feel so uncomfortable and he was flanked by his goons again.

Maria could feel her heart thumping in her chest. She was trying to keep breathing steady and slow, despite the adrenaline sparking in her veins. She was regretting her lack of weapon but if she could make it to the kitchen maybe she had a chance. Or maybe she could get the latch on the door quick enough and make it outside. Perhaps she could outrun them, there were trees across the road, the little dirt path that led up behind the houses opposite and into the woods.

“Where’s my father?” Maria asked.

“Oh, Maria, I took you for such a polite girl. Aren’t you going to ask us if we want a drink?” The short man’s lip curled up and Maria swallowed.

“Where’s my father?” Maria asked again.

“He’s, secure-” He said standing up, there wasn’t much height between him and the top of the chair he’d been sat in. “It’s not him we’re here for.” He held his hands behind his back.

“You understand-” He said, and Maria saw his goons make the slightest of moves. She had a choice, kitchen with knives- at least something to try and defend herself with or out the door and across the road.

“It’s just business.” The short man said.

Maria turned just as the other two men moved forward. She grabbed the vase off the table next to the door and launched it towards them. As they moved, she managed to get the latch on the door and set off running.

“Oh, she wants you to have fun boys.” The short man shouted gleefully.

Maria’s foot caught on the stairs and she had to take off the heels she was wearing throwing them back at the two larger men, hitting one in the face. There was pain in her ankle, and she was sure she was going to fall but still took off, running harder than she’d ever run in her life.

~?~

“Xander, you and Oz check the tea shop. Giles you me and Willow can go to her house. You got the address right Wil?” Buffy asked sliding a stake into her boot holster and pulling another from the rack.

“Got the address off the city database.” Willow grinned at Oz.

“Remember, no playing hero. If somethings there, or up, beep me.” Buffy said nodding to the boys.

“Got it, if she’s gone full demon, we’ll leave her to you and your stakes.” Xander said off handedly, causing Giles to shoot him a look and Willow to swipe at his arm, eyeballing him. “I’m sure she’ll be fine, not a demon or being eaten by a demon.”

“Xander!” Willow slapped his arm again.

Giles was quiet, numb, trying not to overreact. Jenny kept flashing across his mind, and he was trying not to think about her laid out on the bed. That had been completely different. Different to this, he’d loved Jenny. He liked Maria. He was trying not to see himself falling in love with her, trying not to even entertain that idea because of the differences in their worlds, because of what had happened with Jenny.

He knew logically it wasn’t his fault that she might be in danger, knew that he’d had a lot on his mind and that they weren’t romantically involved. That she was a new friend, but those blankets of guilt were still wrapping themselves around him. He should have known. He should have helped. When she’d come in with those marks, those fingerprints on her arm, he should have tried harder to stop her from leaving.

The image of Jenny was chased by a new one, Maria, lifeless, head twisted at angle it shouldn’t have been. Beautiful neck marred by blood and fang marks. Dark hair splayed around her. Eyes wide open.

“Giles.” Buffy touched his arm gently shaking him from his thoughts. “We’ll find her.” She said gently. Whilst reassuring it also made Giles feel weak, he was supposed to be together and in charge and he was faltering on a basic level here.

~?~

A sharp stone caught Maria’s foot on the dirt-path, and she fell, colliding hard with the ground. She got back up, running again, as well as she could on a painful ankle and now bleeding foot. She couldn’t let them get her. Who knows what they were going to do?

Maria stopped for breath when it felt like her lungs were about to explode. She was in a thicket of trees and as far as she could see there was nothing around her. Maybe she’d lost them.

Maria lent back against a tree trying to catch her breath. She lifted her foot up, it was bloody but nothing as bad as John McClane had faced in Die Hard and if he could take on terrorist with shredded feet Maria was sure she could outrun a couple of vamp-. Maria stopped the thought in its tracks. This was all so ridiculous, she wasn’t going to be able to outrun them. She was probably going to die out here. She couldn’t think like that though. For a start she needed to find out what they’d done too and with her father. For seconds she wasn’t one for giving up when someone she loved was in danger.

Maria pulled the scarf from her hair and tied it gently around her foot. If she was going to have to limp to the poli- she couldn’t go to the police with this could she? Her father was a vampire. How was she supposed to explain that?

If not the police then where was she supposed to go? She couldn’t go home, and the shop would no doubt be on their radar. So where? She didn’t know anyone who knew about vamp- Giles. She couldn’t take this to his doorstep though could she? She couldn’t just show up and involve him in all this, but, realistically what other choice did she have? Maybe she could just go to the library and-

Maria was so busy in her head trying to think about where to go and what to do that she failed to take full account of the sounds around her. The leaves rustling, twigs snapping, heavy breathing. She was too busy trying to tie the scarf around her foot that she didn’t notice the two big bodies until it was too late, and the world was turning black.


	7. Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm now up to Season 6 (literally just finished 5 and it destroyed me.) and I have SO many ideas (mummy references, werewolf species, girls nights out, cute lunches, just lots of stuff okay, like lots, plus additions to scenes from the show (because why not I am building this around the show and trying to blend it with canon as much as I can). I'm on tumblr posting tidbits and random ramblings there too. (username is the same). 
> 
> I might do some drabbles alongside this when things are a bit more developed. I'm so excited to keep writing. I'm having so much fun and also breaking my own heart at points too...
> 
> Thank you for the reviews and kudos so far they really mean a lot! I'm glad other people are enjoying this too!

Buffy levelled the crossbow as they pushed open the already ajar door. It became apparent quickly that there wasn’t any danger here. The house was empty or seemed it. They’d still do a sweep, but Buffy doubted anyone was here.

“Oh cool, it’s like a library in here.’ Willow said as she bypassed the broken groceries and walked towards the back of the living room. “S-sorry, probably not the time to get excited.” Willow stopped halfway to a bookcase looking back at Giles and Buffy with an apologetic look on her face.

She wasn’t wrong about the library part. Bookcases took up every inch of wall. The only place they didn’t was where the TV sat but even that was surrounded by books. Even shelves with ornaments still had the odd book littered here and there. When she’d said she was a bibliophile Giles hadn’t imagined this.

“I can see why you like her.” Buffy said, glass crunching under her boots as she crossed the room and joined Willow.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he didn’t like her, that she was just a friend but if Buffy had noticed then maybe he needed to stop trying to talk himself out of feelings that were quite clearly there.

“Maria?” Giles asked putting a foot on the bottom of the stairs. Fear took hold of him suddenly though and he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t go up there. Instead he called her name again.

“I don’t think she’s here.” Willow said peering around into the kitchen. “I don’t think anyone’s here.”

“Someone’s been here thou- is that a shoe?” Buffy asked as she spotted one of Maria’s shoes on the living room floor.

“Looks like she fought back.” Willow said noting the smashed vase on the floor. “Maybe, maybe she made a run for it. There’s a path over the road. Ooh maybe Oz will be able to catch her scent?” She suggested enthusiastically.

~?~

“She’s got spunk your girl Charlie.”

“Please.”

“Really, a fire-cracker.”

Maria blinked slowly. She tried to lift a hand to her head, but her hand wouldn’t come up all the way, she tugged groggily before realising that it was restrained. Thick rope biting at the skin on her wrist, pinching at the fading bruises.

In a flash it all came back to her. Her father was a vampire. The short creepy man and his goons had done something to him. They’d been at the house and she’d run. Her head was throbbing where she’d been hit, and it felt damp. The more she became aware of her surroundings; the more things were starting to hurt. As she became more cognizant, she pulled at her restraints and looked down to see that she’d been tied to a pillar in some sort of factory.

“Please.” Maria heard her father say as she stood up, which in retrospect might have been a better place to defend herself but wasn’t the best considering her foot was now throbbing with pain. There were other injuries too she was slowly becoming aware of that had clearly happened in transit.

“Oh, and there she is.” The short man who’d ordered his goons to take her was there, goons still flanking him.

“Please Oliver, let her go.” Charlie said, he was on his knees, a thick brass collar around his neck.

“Now you know I can’t do that Charlie.” Oliver said a sinister smirk on his face.

Maria was trying to take in what was happening, where they were, who everyone was. The creepy man she’d dubbed a second Snyder in her head was Oliver, he was clearly part of the mob and clearly her father had gotten wrapped up with them and ergo she was. Scenes of torture rattled around her still hazy brain. Because that’s what was going to happen wasn’t it? She’d seen the movies. She’d read the books. The mob used the people their victims loved against them all the time and that’s what she was now. She pulled at the rope around her wrist, but it was fastened too tightly.

“See-” Oliver walked over to her and yanked at her chin, suspiciously strong fingers digging into her jaw. She could see the top of his balding head, roots starting to come through where he clearly dyed his hair. Something about that amused her. “Charlie was a naughty boy, weren’t you Charlie?”

“Please-” Charlie said again before one of the goons kicked him square in the side. The vampire in him surged forward before he shook it off.

“He ruined my friends.” Oliver gestured to a reddy-brown stain on the floor and now Maria noticed it she noticed the others. This must have been the warehouse, the warehouse from the paper. “And we just can’t have that.”

“Don’t hurt her.” Charlie wheezed.

“What are you doing to him?” Maria asked letting her eyes fall to her father again. The thick collar around his neck had an iron bar that linked to two thick cuffs around his wrists. They were for keeping something powerful in check, but if Oliver and his goons were vampires too then why would they need the chain for her father.

This was all too much. There were too many questions, too much was happening.

“Well! Now here’s the fun bit you see.” Oliver let go on her chin and grinned. Almost skipping to the centre of the floor and rubbing his palms together. “Your father owed me a debt and he started working for me. I thought once we turned him, because you’re a smart girl Maria, you know what he is by now don’t you?”

Maria nodded.

“I thought Charlie would be easy to handle and he’s a big guy. Perfect for the goon game, only Charlie didn’t want to play along and so we had to coax him.” Oliver pulled a vial of something yellowish in colour from inside his jacket and Maria watched her father flinch and pull back.

She’d never seen him so scared before, never seen that kind of panic in his face. His body was shaking and there was sweat on his brow. Her big bear of a father had been reduced to a pale shaking mess and she couldn’t seem to match up the two images.

“So, we had to get him in line. But Charlie still wouldn’t play by the rules and he runs away to Sunnydale thinking we’ll never find him. Thinking that we’ll just forget about him. Pretty stupid choice of town Charlie.” Oliver shook a finger in front of her father’s face.

“Charlie still won’t play along though, even when we find him. Even when we visit his house. So, we had to press on a nerve.” Oliver turned to Maria who shifted uncomfortably. “BINGO.” Oliver shouted causing her to flinch. “It turns out though that was a bad idea, my fault, I mis-judged, and, your father decided to make mincemeat out of my little operation here. You understand that can’t go without consequence.”

“Don’t touch her!” Maria’s father shouted and tried to pull at his restraints. He was earnt a shock with a cattle prod and Maria pulled at her own restraints.

“Oh Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Don’t you get it yet? I’m not going to harm a hair on this pretty little head.” Oliver said walking over and yanking Charlie’s head up by grabbing a fistful of his hair, positioning his head so he was forced to look at Maria.

“You are.” Oliver said into his ear.

Charlie paled and wretched, dropping back to the floor when his hair was released from Oliver’s grip.

“No, no I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything you want.” He pleaded. He looked like he was going to vomit, and it made Maria’s breathing shallow.

“It’s too late Charlie.” Oliver said taking a thick silver gun with a needle on the end from one of his goons. He screwed the vial of yellow liquid into it and there was a hissing noise.

“I’m sorry.” Charlie said looking at Maria.

“What’s happening? What are you doing?” Maria asked pulling at her restraints hard.

“Hold him.” Oliver said to one of goons who grabbed her father by the hair.

“What are you doing? Stop it!” Maria said fighting at rope around her wrists, that was pulling her arms back painfully behind her.

There was the sound of the needle being depressed and what sounded like a wail from Charlie.

“Dad?” Maria shouted as Oliver and his goons stepped out of the way.

He wasn’t her father anymore though. Whatever he was now was a shadow of what he’d been. He was practically foaming at the mouth. Straining to get to Maria, fangs bared, every muscle in his body tense. Veins in his neck and hands bulging.

“Take the collar off, keep the cuffs and we’ll see how long it takes him to break the chain.” Oliver grinned. It was then Maria saw there was a chain running from the thick metal cuffs on his wrists to it was bolted into the floor. The weight of the collar around his neck and the pole attaching it to the cuffs was what had been holding him down, keeping him under control.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about seeing that.” Buffy appeared in the doorway, arrow in her crossbow.

“Who the hell are you?” Oliver said his lip curling up into a snarl.

“I’m the slayer.” Buffy replied. “And you picked the wrong town to bring the mob too.”

“Kill her.” Oliver waved his hand at his goons who started to advance on Buffy and the others.

Maria could barely see though tear blurred eyes. She was focused on her father, on what was happening to him. The ridges on his face seemed somehow more prominent. He was growling, foaming, straining at the chain to get to her. He ran toward her and she flinched when the chain pulled at the ground, yanking him back and making him yelp.

“Dad-” Maria said quietly. Charlie backed up again before pulling at his restraints. His eyes were rimmed red, vein throbbing in his neck.

“Maria, we have to get you out of here.” Giles was trying to undo the knot at her wrist, but Maria was too focused on her father to even acknowledge that someone was helping her.

“Giles!” Willow called tossing him an axe.

“Dad?” Maria asked again as her father tore towards her again, the thick chain pulling at the bolted floor.

Fighting had erupted around them as Giles used the axe to get through the rope. Buffy took the two goons down with relative ease, them disappearing into dust as their boss disappeared to the upper floor of the factory.

“Maria, we need to get you out of here.” Giles said again.

“No!” Maria shouted as Buffy made for her father, thrown back, a bigger man stepping in to protect her.

“Kill me.” Charlie’s voice had returned for a millisecond to normal. He was the soft bear of a man she knew and loved again. His face was normal, though he was straining. As though there were two parts of him fighting. “Please.” His voice was almost a beg and it broke Maria’s heart. “I’m sorry.” He said again looking at her but not meeting her eyes.

“Touching really but this is all taking too long” Oliver called from the upper deck of the factory floor, taking aim with his pistol he fired at the place where the chain was bolted to the floor.

Buffy fired the crossbow as the gun went off and it stuck into Oliver’s chest with a thud. Oliver didn’t fade away like the others had done but his glamour disappeared revealing skin similar to that of a toad, green blood oozing from the wound.

As Oliver’s body hit the floor Maria’s Father made a beeline for it, snarling worse than ever. Buffy started towards him.

“NO!” Maria shouted again lurching forwards.

The monster turned.

Charlie all muscle and fangs, practically foaming at the mouth charged at her. Maria’s back collided with the ground, the wind knocked out of her and pain blinding her. Charlie had her pinned to the ground, snarling like a wild animal. He raised his head back, spittle stretched between his fangs, ready to bite when he stilled above her.

Charlie’s features shifted back to human. A content smile crossed his face and as Maria reached up to put a hand on his face he turned to dust.


	8. Not Alone

Maria was numb.

She had no idea how she’d gotten to the hospital. The image of her father’s face before he turned to dust was replaying over and over again in her mind. Intercut with the images of the monster in him.

There were too many questions and she couldn’t quite decide which were the most important.

“Miss Bingley, you’ve a broken rib and a cracked collarbone. You’re pretty beat up by all accounts.” The Doctor said standing next to her bed. Her voice indicated she wanted to ask what had happened but was trying to avoid the big question. 

“She fell down the stairs.” Giles said when Maria didn’t reply. “She’s had a shock.” He added but he could feel the doctor scrutinising him. It was exactly the sort of excuse abusers came up with to cover their tracks. He could hardly say that she’d just been fighting off her demonic father though could he? So, what else was he to do? Besides, a fall down the stairs was the most likely thing to explain all her injuries.

“Yes, well, maybe your husband could-” The Doctor started.

“What?” Maria seemed to shake herself out of her stupor. “He’s not my husband. He’s, he’s not hurt me either.” She added, catching the look on the doctor’s face. “I fell down the stairs, my fathers just died.” The words came out slowly like molasses sticking in her throat. She felt her eyes burning but she couldn’t seem to really cry. Everything just felt so dull. Even the pain was dull.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” The Doctor said quietly.

 _No apology for the implication it was me who pushed her down the stairs then,_ thought Giles.

“We’ll give you a proper sling for your arm, but the rib will have to heal on its own I’m afraid. There’s only a minor concussion from what you’ve said and the cut on your head won’t need stitches. It’d probably be better if someone was with you at home though. Just to make sure you’re okay, make sure there’s no dizziness or nausea.” The Doctor looked to Giles who nodded.

Maria had gone back into her head. Those last minutes playing in her head over and over again. Her father had looked so content, so happy to be disappearing. 

“Thank you, Doctor.” Giles said, though he wasn’t entirely sure he meant it given the way the doctor was still looking him over. Like she was reluctant to let Maria go home with him. If she really was concerned, she shouldn’t be letting her leave at all, but she was, so it was a good job Giles was who he was.

They waited in silence for a nurse to come back with the appropriate sling. Giles wished he could see into Maria’s head, see what she was thinking. It was so much in one night, the introduction to a new world, the realisation she’d been taking tea with someone in that world. Being kidnapped, seeing her father become a monster and then losing him like that? Did she feel betrayed? Lied to? Was she angry with him? She was probably just numb, but his mind was still racing with worry.

He was thinking too about the depth of his own feelings. He hadn’t had to confront them so far. Even when she’d come into the library with the marks on her wrist, he’d had so many other things going on that he’d been distracted away from confronting it. Not tonight though. Seeing her house, her shoes, seeing the bloody scarf. It was like someone had lodged a knife in his chest. He’d focused though on finding her, channelled his feelings into that.

Now in the quiet there was nothing to distract him, nothing to help him escape from the fact he was being confronted by what he felt.

He couldn’t say love. It was far too early for that, for those kinds of declarations. Besides he wasn’t sure himself if that was what he felt. He knew though that this was deeper than just _like_. Deeper than just wanting to befriend someone, to potentially become romantically entangled for a night. Deeper than just a date or two and seeing how things went. It was deeper than just attraction, though that had been what had initially drawn him too her.

The panic when Charlie had pounced on her had been very real. Not just in the sense that he couldn’t lose someone else to a good man turned monster. The panic he’d felt when they’d arrived at her house had been very real, and not just because he was scared to go upstairs. Not just because of the left-over PTSD (though he was reluctant to call it that) from what happened to Jenny. There was more to it than all that. There was a realisation that he didn’t want to do without her, he didn’t want to be without her. It was strong and sudden and overwhelming, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Then there was something else mixed up in his feelings about Maria at this moment. A sort of relief, not that she was alive. Not that she hadn’t been turned into a vampire, but, that she was now in this world.

Because she had taken the fact her father was a vampire in her stride. She’d not reacted with torches and pitchforks, not panicked. She’d gone to the library. She’d wanted to learn all she could and even in those final moments she was trying to save him. And now she knew about this world, now she knew what they faced, he could tell her all the things he’d wanted to tell her. He could share all the things he’d wanted to share with her. Something about that, even though this whole night shouldn’t, made him happy. 

“Maria, I don’t think you should be on your own tonight.” Giles said as he sat in the driver’s seat, hands on the wheel ready to go.

The dilemma was where? They’d locked the door behind them when he’d left her house. Willow had handed him the keys from the side table before they left, and they were still in his pocket. He wasn’t sure she’d want to go back there though.

He wanted to take her to his home, but would she think he was being some sort of forward? Would she rather be at her own home with all the comforts it brought? But then again it would be too empty and too big wouldn’t it?

Maria made a noise that was barely a reply.

“If you don’t want to go home yet-” Giles started looking over at Maria who seemed to blanche, so Giles decided he was in the driving seat both literally and figuratively. “I think some tea might be a good idea, drop of whiskey. Though I can’t say my tea selection will be as vast as yours.” He said trying to throw some light into his voice.

Maria just nodded and he could tell she’d crawled back inside her own head.

The ride was silent, occasionally Maria shifted and made a small noise that said she was in pain but mostly they were silent. Giles was sure he had some spare pyjamas somewhere. If not, a shirt that would fit her at least so she’d be more comfortable, so she could shower the blood out of her hair. He just wanted her to be comfortable, he knew he couldn’t reach out and take that pain away, but he was hardly going to just put her outside her house and leave her. Let her be alone just because he couldn’t reach in there.

Giles pulled up outside the apartment and got out walking around to the passenger side and opening Maria’s door to help her out. She was crying, he could see her face was all wet and he supposed it was a good thing. Better than being completely numb.

“Rupert.” Maria said quietly. “I don’t want to be on my own.” She choked out a sob bringing the hand not in a sling up to her mouth. Giles dropped to his knees next to the passenger side and wrapped his arms around her awkwardly as her shoulders shook heavily and she cried in his arms.

“Maria.” Giles said softly after a minute, when his back and knees were becoming uncomfortable. “Let’s get you inside and, and get some tea.” Maria nodded not looking at him.

“Maria,” Giles lifted her chin gently so he could meet her eyes. “I promise you. You are not alone.”


	9. Just Like Alice

“I suppose you have questions?” Giles said sitting down opposite her and handing her a glass of gin.

“What did they give him?” Maria asked and it wasn’t the question Giles was expecting. He leaned forward to put his glass on the table and took his glasses off to clean them. They weren’t dirty but he needed something to do with his hands, something to help him recalibrate the way he’d thought this conversation was going to go.

“Normal vampires don’t, they don’t react like that. Not from what I read. And how long has this been happening? He was so happy to die. So happy it was finally over.” Tears started to shine in her eyes and Giles returned his glasses to his face. “I’m supposed to be smart, if I’d just paid more attention. I could have helped him. God I could have done something. I could have-”

“I-I don’t think there’s anything you could have done.” Giles replied.

After some deliberation he’d run Maria a bath so she could soak the aches away. He hadn’t been sure what else to do, and she’d been so numb and compliant after her outburst at the car that it had seemed like the right, the only thing, to really do. It turned out he was correct.

He’d had to help put the shirt on her, she’d shouted him, voice hoarse and still slightly shaky. She’d asked him, towel held together in front of her so tightly that her knuckles were turning slightly white, if he’d do the buttons up. Her cheeks had been slightly pink, and he couldn’t tell if it was residual heat from the bath or embarrassment.

“Of course, I could, I could have helped find a way round it.” Maria replied, gripping the cup hard, her gaze moving to the liquid at it’s centre. She seemed to have worked through a few things in the bath, come out of it less catatonic, more curious. He was surprised given that she’d only been up there a couple of hours, but he imagined a couple of hours stuck in the confines of your own mind, with nothing but questions, could feel like a lot longer. Time was a funny thing when it came to shock and grief.

“Let’s say you could. Let’s say you found out earlier, what would you have done? He wasn’t turned because he got attacked on the way home from work Maria. The mob would have caught up with him eventually and I can’t see how you could have stopped that.” Giles pointed out.

“I-” Maria started.

Giles raised a brow at her, and Maria conceded looking down at her drink.

“I think, if I’m being honest, that you’re thinking about this the wrong way. This wasn’t simple, a vampire didn’t attack him, and he didn’t panic about what to do. He was turned, he was used. He borrowed money from the wrong people and they, as they often do, caught up with him. You saw him, he was feral, Maria. I’ve never seen anything quite like that, even in werewolves.” Giles said.

“Werewolves?” Maria asked. “You’ve seen an actual werewolf?” Maria’s eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity and Giles smiled at her. It was good to see that look back in her eyes, even if it was only for a moment.

“I just- I don’t know how I feel. Every time I think I’m going to cry I start thinking about things and then I just get angry.” The excitement disappeared, replaced with a blazing anger, her eyes glazed over, tears were shining in them but not falling.

“I moved here for him. I had a life in New York, I had friends, I had, I was-” Maria stopped herself, but Giles could feel the unsaid words on the air. There had been someone there, someone she’d cared a great deal for. “-I moved here for him. I left everything behind so I could take care of him because he told me he was sick. He told me they hadn’t nailed down what it was. That he’d had tests and x-rays and he described symptoms to me and- and I did so much reading that I could probably do bloody brain surgery myself. It was all a lie, everything, and it’s not even like he was protecting me because I would have been fine if _he’d_ just moved away. I’m so angry and then I feel guilty about being angry and I keep thinking about that look on his face and how happy he was to die. I always thought he was brave, and he wasn’t, he was a coward and- and- and he left me.” Maria put her head into her left hand that wasn’t in a sling and started to cry again. Giles moved to hug her, but Maria held her hand up. “I’m sorry.” She apologised, downing the remnants of gin in her glass and enjoying the slow burn of the alcohol as it moved down her throat.

“You don’t have to apologise.” Giles smiled gently at her.

“I can’t believe I dragged you into this.” She said rubbing her forehead and hissing as she caught the bruise.

“I would have been sooner or later anyway.” Giles pointed out, because he would have via Buffy.

“I didn’t think of that, but I suppose you would-” Maria’s expression glazed over for a moment and Giles wished he could see inside her head again. He had no idea what she needed, what would make her feel better. This wasn’t simple. Her father hadn’t just simply been killed, there was so much more that this was wrapped up in and he had no idea what she was going to ask next. He had no idea what she was going to feel next and he didn’t think she did either, which made this all worse.

“I suppose you feel betrayed?” He asked, he had to know. He had to know if she thought he’d betrayed her by not telling her the truth about him. About this world, when she’d clearly shown interest.

“Yes.” Maria swallowed and Giles felt his heart sink. “I can’t believe he just let me live in that house knowing what might happen, knowing they might come for me.” Maria vented, eyes blazing again. “He knew what might happen and he never even thought to tell me, never thought to warn me. Even if they hadn’t been vampires, they were still the mob.”

“A-actually I meant-” Giles started, and Maria looked up at him confused for a moment before it dawned on her.

“Oh- oh you mean you. No, no Rupert why would I? Did you lie to me?” She asked him.

“No, well, there may have been a few evenings I wasn’t where I said I was going to be. Mostly because I was helping Buffy take down one demon or another.” Giles replied not meeting her eyes.

“You hardly lied to me then Rupert. You just circumnavigated the truth. You could hardly tell me about Buffy anymore than I could tell you about my suspicions about my father, no matter how much I wanted to.” Maria replied and Giles heart lifted in his chest. “Besides, it was hardly any of my business.” Maria added. Giles wanted it to be her business though and actually, Maria did to.

“I wanted to tell you. There were a lot of things I wanted to tell you. A few weeks ago, you were talking about a nightmare and I wanted to tell you about the time a boy in a coma made everyone’s worst nightmares come true.” Giles said refilling her glass and his own. Now he could tell her, there was so much he did want to tell her. The time wasn’t right now, but there was so much he wanted to retroactively tell her.

“I’m sort of glad you didn’t. I’d really rather not have an army of ventriloquist dummies and zombies running around.” Maria frowned and Giles saw some of the old Maria there, in the smile she did into her glass.

“Actually, there was a dummy once. He was quite nice, actually. Demon hunter by all accounts.” Giles said, Maria’s eyes had gone wide with fear and she stared at him slightly open mouthed before she blinked a few times and spoke.

“The fact he was a demon hunter does not fill me with confidence that there aren’t more ventriloquist dummies wandering around out there. That thought is terrifying, and it is going to stay with me for months.” Maria closed her eyes for a moment. “Give me back only knowing of vampires.”

“He was a nice- dummy.” Giles said with a nod of his head and Maria laughed, before she shuddered.

“So Buffy is the slayer, and you are much more than just a librarian, which I already knew-” Maria said after a moment.

“I’m a- I’m her Watcher. It’s my duty to prepare her for the fight against demonic forces. I train her, help her and test her occasionally. I’m part of- I was part of a council.” The words caught in his throat and he swallowed it down with gin, but Maria had caught it.

“What happened?” She asked.

“There was a- you know it doesn’t matter right now. You don’t want to hear about that after everything that’s gone on.” Giles said, because she didn’t. Her father had just died, and he was sure her questions didn’t include wanting to know the ins and outs of why he’d been fired from the Watcher’s Council.

“Rupert what happened? Did something happen to the council? Were you fired?” Maria asked watching his face. When he sighed, she tilted her head. “Okay, so why were you fired?”

“There’s a ritual the slayer must go through-” Giles started and the words caught in his throat. He hadn’t really had to talk about it out loud. Of course, he’d talked to Buffy a little. He didn’t know whether it was her youth or her stoicism that had made her gloss over the finer points and harder motions, or maybe it was that she saw how sorry he was. Maybe she had seen the regret in him but whatever it was she seemed to have forgiven him.

He didn’t really think she understood it completely. The decision he’d had to make, the weight of it all, but he’d done his best to explain and he’d apologised sincerely. He hoped in time, with age, that she would come to understand. The weight of that guilt, of what he’d done, still pressed at his windpipe, like hands around his neck. Giles looked up and Maria was watching him closely, waiting to listen. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell her anymore. What if she judged him harshly? Would he judge her if she didn’t judge him?

“Rupert, you can tell me.” Maria said softly.

“There’s a ritual the slayer must go through, a test, it’s called Tento Di Cruciamentum. It’s barbaric and ridiculous and it shouldn’t be carried out anymore, but it is. If the slayer reaches their eighteenth birthday, they must be subjected to their powers being stripped slowly and then they must face a particularly nasty vampire.” Giles said and then feeling he wasn’t being entirely honest added. “The watcher must keep the Slayer unaware of the test, using hypnosis to help ensure the Slayer doesn’t realise she’s being injected with suppressants.”

“You mean you drugged her.” Maria said and her expression shifted. Giles moved uncomfortably on the couch before he got up. He shouldn’t have brought this up, shouldn’t have mentioned it because he wasn’t sure he could deal with this right now. He’d needed to speak to another adult about this for weeks though and he hadn’t been able to, not properly, not someone who understood Buffy’s true power, her true potential.

“Well, yes, but I had to.” Giles stopped and looked at her. The bruise under her hair was turning a nasty shade of purple now and the finger marks on her chin, now she was clean, were even more prominent on her light sandy coloured skin. “The council have always-” Giles started and then stopped himself when he looked back and saw Maria watching him, he couldn’t lie to her, it was on him. What he’d done to Buffy, that was on him.

“So, let me get this right, even though the Slayer proves herself over and over again. Saving the world and keeping everyone safe. This- the council expect her to prove herself, because saving the world time and again is clearly not enough.” Maria pulled a face and Giles smiled at her. He felt the tiniest bit of relief spread through his chest that she wasn’t judging him too harshly.

“That’s about the measure of it.” Giles said.

“And you went along with it?” Maria asked him, the relief stopped in its tracks. Giles moved to take his glasses off again for something to do and then stopped himself.

“Reluctantly but I did. Things went wrong though. Buffy’s mother ended up involved and I stepped in to help and-”

“I never even thought about her parents. What did they say about all this? I can’t imagine they were very happy with you drugging their daughter, putting her in danger like that.” Maria interrupted. The words came out more tartly than she’d intended but she wasn’t going to apologise for them. From the sounds of it that wasn’t what Giles was looking for or needed. He clearly knew he’d done the wrong thing. He didn’t need anyone trying to mollycoddle him over it after the fact.

“I don’t think Buffy ever talked it over with Joyce and Buffy’s father is mostly absent. That’s probably what led to me being fired, the test isn’t just for the slayer but for her watcher too and I failed, because in their words ‘I have a father’s love for her.’ I was fired that evening and they’ve sent a new watcher. Some barely out of nappies, never set a foot wrong soft boy, who doesn’t really care what happens to her as long as she continues staking vampires.” Giles said bitterly.

“They fired you because you love her, because you care about her?” Maria asked and her expression shifted again. The anger she’d clearly started to feel that he’d been drugging his charge, had been complicated by his admission.

“I hadn’t realised it myself until then, not really. I realised too late I was doing the wrong thing which is why it took me so long to get there to help her.” Giles said quietly, he placed a bottle down on the table and sat down opposite Maria.

“But you did realise what you were doing was wrong.” Maria pointed out.

“I knew from the beginning it was wrong. Stripping Buffy’s powers without telling her made me uneasy from the get-go. I wrote to the council, appealed the decision. I went through all the proper channels and in the end, I invalidated the test myself by telling her. It was too late though.” Giles said. “Quentin told me I was fired. Apparently caring about your charge is useless to the cause.”

“And you haven’t stopped beating yourself up about it since?” Maria offered, she thought about it for a moment, sipping from her gin again before she spoke.

“Guilts sticky, don’t you think? Tacky. People can forgive you, try to wash it away but there’s always that residue. It stays and it grows, like mould. You think you’re free and then all of a sudden it hits you again and it spreads out, takes over. You should have felt guilty Rupert because you drugged her, you betrayed her and if the care you feel for her is reciprocated in the way I suppose it is, given that she forgave you, that was a big betrayal. She did forgive you though and that’s worth a lot. As is the fact you stuck a middle finger up at the council to protect her. Risked your life, your job and actually your home here.” Giles winced at her words, even if he knew they were true they were hard to hear.

“I think you can give yourself a break Rupert, you’re only human. No matter how many what ifs you come up with, it’s not going to change what happened. All you can do is move forward and make sure you don’t commit the same mistakes again.” Maria sighed.

“I feel there’s advice in there I should be sending back your way.” Giles pointed out.

“I’m like Alice.” Maria said with a laugh. Giles tilted his head at her. “I give very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.”

“You should though, you’re right on the what ifs. It doesn’t change what has happened. Nothing can change that.” Giles pointed out and Maria didn’t answer him she just drank from her glass.

“So, were you chosen? Like Buffy was?” Maria asked him, changing the subject.

It was nice not having to explain the ins and outs of the slayer to her. She’d clearly done her research when it had come to vampires, even if she hadn’t known Buffy was the Slayer, she still knew enough about the Slayer on a whole that he didn’t have to go back to the beginning.

“Yes, my father had a talk with me about responsibilities because I didn’t want to be a Watcher, I didn’t think I could.” Giles said.

“What did you want to be?” Maria asked him curiously.

“I wanted to be a fighter pilot or a grocer.” Giles replied and a smile spread across Maria’s face. “What?” Giles asked her. “What?” He asked her again when she continued smiling rather than replying.

“I don’t know I’ve just got this whole story for you in my head now. Rupert Giles living in some small village surrounded by occult books. Fighter Pilot come Grocer.” Maria said. “It’s all very forties rather than nineties though.” She admitted, omitting the fact that in this story she was there with him, rollers in her hair, kiss on the cheek. All very soft and cosy village mystery, Miss Marple-esque.

“You’re making fun of me, I just shared something very personal and you’re making fun.” Giles replied.

“No, no I’m not.” Maria said shaking her head but not managing to shake away the smile. Even if she was making fun Giles didn’t mind. It was nice to see that smile again and see it touch her eyes again.


	10. Schrodinger's Prom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this chapter taking a while. 
> 
> I originally had another chapter planned for before this BUT it wasn't working so I ended up just scrapping it. I've also been ill the past week and it's zapped me of all my typing energy.

“I mean really there’s an ascension coming and all they can think about is prom dresses and tuxedos.” Giles ranted, pacing backwards and forwards with a book in his hands.

After everything that had happened Maria had stayed at Giles’ for a total of forty-eight hours. He would have allowed her to stay longer but she had insisted she was okay to go home, and she had been, until she’d broken down in the kitchen. That night Giles had stayed at hers in the guest bedroom and brought them dinner back the following evening after work.

She was mostly healed now. The bruises had all disappeared and she was no longer having to wear the sling. She still needed help on occasion with heavy lifting though, which Giles was more than happy to help with. At first, he’d told himself that’s why he was frequenting the shop more, between researching for the ascension, but since Maria’s introduction to the world of myth and magic their relationship had taken on another level of openness. Giles was free to talk to her about everything now and Maria was ever an eager ear. She was enthusiastic in her thirst for knowledge about the new world and she offered insights that at times Giles had overlooked, or that forced him to see things from a new perspective. It was refreshing too, having an adult to discuss things with. Whilst Giles was always impressed with the maturity of his young charges he also had to remember, and occasionally be reminded, that they were still young, they were still teenagers and the world, even when it was ending, still revolved around entirely different things than it did when one was an adult.

“I think I’m with Buffy on this one.” Maria replied tilting her head at him and smiling when he stopped to stare at her incredulously. “If the world’s going to end let them have one fun night.”

“If the worlds going to end, they don’t need one fun night.” Giles retorted.

“Wow,” Maria nodded, and Giles stopped in his pacing to watch. “You sound, _old_. _”_ Maria made a noise and Giles looked mildly offended.

“I never had a prom. You never had a prom-” Giles started and Maria held up a hand to stop him.

“No, we had discos, cheap cider and horrible outfits. Although considering how much of a rebel you were, I can’t imagine you went to many discos.” Maria pointed out. “Come to think of it, I didn’t really. I was usually curled up with a book.” She admitted, causing Giles gaze on her to soften considerably. She really was an incredible nerd, which was probably one of the reasons Willow had taken so fondly to her.

Maria had met the others mostly by accident. She’d noticed the library lights on after being a literal shoulder for Brienne to cry on one evening. Arm still in a sling she’d decided to call in on Giles and share the uneaten doughnuts she’d brought to comfort Brienne with, with him. Giles hadn’t been alone in the library though and Maria had been finally and properly introduced to Buffy, Willow, Xander, Oz and even Wesley.

“Prom is a romantic American tradition. Night full of firsts. It’s a milestone for a lot of kids. You don’t get it because you’re a forty something British man.” Maria said pointedly.

“I just think there are more important things-” Giles sighed. “I just think there are more important things than dresses and dates.”

“Again, you’re not an eighteen-year-old on the edge of graduation.” Maria reiterated.

“And, now Wesley has decided he’s going to ‘help’ with chaperoning duties because Cordelia told him she thought he’d look very 007 in a tuxedo.” Giles put the book down on the counter and Maria picked it up flicking through the pages he’d been reading.

“Rupert are you jealous because no one has told you, you’d look like 007 yet?” Maria teased.

“I most definitely am not!” Giles paused and narrowed his eyes at her. “Okay, maybe you’re right, they do deserve a little time.”

“Besides, you might have fun. They’ll be other adults there. It’s a chance for a lot of people to dress up and let their hair down.” Maria pointed out. “Besides if what Brienne told me is true, they’ll be plenty adult females on the lookout for an eligible librarian in a tuxedo.” Maria smirked at him and Giles stared at her for a minute, the look on his face something between panic and horror. He didn’t want any of the women at school looking out for an eligible librarian. In fact, there was only one woman he’d be happy to hear was looking for that and she was standing right in front of him. He did want to ask her out, he did want to take her on a date but it just seemed like every time he was about to ask something got in the way or he was interrupted or it didn’t feel like the right moment. Giles scolded himself, he’d never have had this problem when he was younger but then again, the only way Maria would have been on his radar when he was younger was if he’d been forced to work with her.

“You know I came here for tea and sympathy.” Giles said half pouting into his tea.

“And there was me thinking you came for my help and delightful company.” Maria replied, looking back down at the book in front of her.

*

“Maria?” Giles had called out to her before he’d even realised what he was doing.

He’d stepped outside for a bit of air. Now that the world was safe from hell hounds and everyone was paired off, he thought he could get away with slipping out of the hall and outside for a moment. He’d just been thinking about how he wished she was there, then at least he’d have someone he could talk to without feeling awkward, when she’d appeared, and his mouth had reacted faster than his brain could catch up with.

She looked amazing, she’d clearly been out somewhere special, black dress, that almost touched her feet, it was vintage, like something from an old black and white musical. She’d done her hair and makeup to match and the effect was only more dazzling the closer she got.

“I hope that’s shaken not stirred.” Maria gave him a sort of half smile.

“What? Oh-” Giles lifted the glass of punch still in his hand up slightly. “You look-” Giles started and stopped, what was the right word? He’d never seen her look more beautiful and his heart did that funny thing it sometimes did when she smiled at him in just the right way.

“Too much, I know.” Maria said sliding a bit of lose hair behind her ear.

“No, no you look amazing.” Giles rushed to correct her. “Where have you been?”

“I was supposed to have a date.” Maria admitted, though she wouldn’t meet his eyes as she said it and Giles was almost glad because his heart dropped a little.

“He stood me up.” She added, because she wanted him to know that she hadn’t actually ended up on it. She wanted his reaction to give her some sort of hope that when she finally asked him out that it wouldn’t be flat out rejected. Part of her was hoping if she saw something like relief that she’d been stood up in his face, that it would give her some sort of green light. Give her some sort of indication that rejection wasn’t what awaited her if she went down the route of asking him to dinner. 

“Looking like that?” The words were out of him mouth before he could stop them, and Maria looked up at him smiling.

“I didn’t really want to go anyway. He asked me in the shop and there were all these people around, so I sort of had to agree and then, well, I’m guessing he saw me coming and went the other way.” Maria admitted letting out a sigh. “You’d think I’d have learnt my lesson about waiting around for men, I waited an hour though like an idiot so now I’m going to go home and read a book on tree demons.”

“Tree demons?” Giles tilted his head at her.

Maria was distracted from his question with checking him out for a minute, albeit trying to do it subtly. Was it just a rule that everyone looked good in a tuxedo? And was it a rule that it should make her stomach do that weird twist or was that just because it was Giles in a tuxedo. She half wished she could see Wesley for comparison but even if she did, the reality was she already knew the answer. It was just Giles in a tuxedo, like it was just Giles with his shirt slightly unbuttoned or just Giles with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his braces hanging at his sides or it was just Giles in that sweater on the weekend.

“How’s the prom going?” Maria asked gesturing back towards the door.

“Nobodies died yet.” Giles admitted with a slight grimace. “Even if I was worried at one point that I was going to commit a murder.”

“Is Wesley really being that annoying?” Maria laughed.

“Flittering about over Cordelia.” Giles waved a hand. “As if the man wasn’t annoying enough, he comes over to ask me for advice. I mean do I look like an agony aunt.”

“In that outfit definitely not.” Maria replied but she was smiling again, and Giles was happy with that even if she was teasing him. “Besides, you’re just older and wiser maybe he thinks you’re more experienced in these matters.”

“Less of the older thank you.” Giles retorted. “You should come in, seems a shame to waste that dress.” Giles suggested, gesturing backwards with his head towards the door.

“Rupert Giles are you asking me to Prom?” Maria teased.

“I suppose I am yes. Besides if you come in and dance with me looking like that it might deter Fiona from accounting and her friend.”

“Oh wonderful, so not only have I been stood up, I now get to play your decoy.” Maria pointed out with a huff.

“I didn’t hear a no.” Giles replied hopefully.

“You’re lucky I have no where better to be.” Maria narrowed her eyes at him but took his arm anyway. “And that it’s cold.”

“I’m lucky someone stood you up.” Giles retorted and Maria gave him a playful shove.

“You want to watch it, or I’ll make sure that this Fiona and her friend find out that you quite like numbers and you were a founding member of Pink Floyd at ten years old.” Maria smirked at him. 

When Maria entered the hall with Giles, she could see exactly how Buffy and the others had gotten carried away with everything. This was exactly what she’d pictured, it was romantic and fun and the excuse to get close to someone you’d probably had a crush on for a long time. There were ill-fitting tuxes and dresses she was sure some were going to regret but the atmosphere was wonderful. Now she could also understand why High school reunions, in this sort of capacity, were so popular in America.

It was so different to anything she’d been to in her youth, with the exception of maybe a fundraiser or two, but that didn’t have the benefit of her classmates. The parties en-masse of her youth had been either house parties, messy and unpolished or sneaking into clubs, again, messy and unpolished and without the finesse that this prom seemed to have. This was an occasion in the truest sense of the word. Even standing on the side lines drinking punch was an experience, it was fascinating and heart-warming to watch the interactions going on around the hall. Romance, heartbreak, friendships, dancing, young love. It was all here in this hall and Maria found it quite beautiful.

“Time to make yourself useful.” Giles said urgently, close to her ear. Maria jumped and nearly spilled the punch she was holding. He took it off her and put it on the side taking hold of her hand and tugging her to the edge of the dancefloor where throngs of students and yes, some teachers were all dancing.

“Make myself useful?” Maria looked ruffled as Giles slid one hand around her waist and took one hand with his other.

“You know what I mean.” Giles smiled at her and Maria narrowed her eyes slightly annoyed but just over his shoulder she could see the two women who’d been approaching him were now glaring at her. It was strange, how comfortable it felt to be in his arms like this, to be this close to him and it not feel wrong.

“Oh god.” Maria groaned, her head dropping forward onto Giles’ shoulder.

“What?” Giles asked as they moved gently to the music.

“I think I’ve just found out why I was stood up. Not only did I get stood up I almost robbed the cradle too. He definitely does not look eighteen.”

“Which one?” Giles asked turning them round so he could see where she’d been looking.

“The one talking to the woman with the purple flowers on her dress.” Maria pointed out. “Stop being so obvious.” She said smacking his arms as he watched the couple behind them.

“Well you’ll be glad to know you weren’t robbing the cradle.” Giles pointed out. He also wanted to point out that he hadn’t pegged Mr Charm and swag over there as her type, but then again, he didn’t know what exactly was her type.

Their conversations had mostly stayed away from romantic entanglements, Giles didn’t really want to talk about Jenny for fear it would send Maria running, and he had a feeling there were romances on Maria’s side that she didn’t want to talk about either.

“That is Mr Birch the Biology Teacher and that woman is his wife she’s an art teacher, I think. Wonderful woman by all accounts.” Giles said as they moved to the music.

“Oh, great so I’m not robbing the cradle but I’m a homewrecker.” Maria stopped moving and Giles looked down at her face to see that she was genuinely upset.

“Maria you are far from either of those things. Birch is an idiot and an arsehole.” Giles said encouraging her to move again. “It’s really got to you hasn’t it?” Giles asked gently. His voice was lower now, gentler and when Maria looked up she realised they were closer than she’d initially thought. She was suddenly very aware of her hand in Giles’. His hand on the small of her back. The way it felt, the way the residual heat from his palm sunk through the fabric of her dress to her skin. The fact there was barely anything between them.

Maria felt a flush run up her neck. God this was ridiculous. Maybe it was something about the Prom, the atmosphere that was making everything seem more romantic, that was heightening senses. Maybe it was something about this room full of people all dressed up and the music and the soft lighting. She could certainly see how so many firsts ended up coming about because of this night.

“Any man would be mad to stand you up.” Giles said, lips twitching up into a smile. As ridiculous as it seemed, now would be a perfect opportunity to kiss her. That was the thought that flitted across his mind and the thought he tried to chase away as soon as it came. Giles had suddenly become very aware of the fact his hand was balanced against the small of her back, very aware that only the fabric of her dress was stopping him from finding out if the skin there was as soft as the back of her hands.

He couldn’t just kiss her though. What if she didn’t feel the same and he ruined their friendship? All because he’d read the signals wrong and gotten carried away at an American teenager’s prom. Now was definitely not the right time to kiss her, even with the music and the lighting and the closeness and the way she was looking at him.

Would it be so bad if she kissed him now? Maria had to wonder. She was a romantic after all and here they were dancing slowly, all dressed up to the nines with soft music and lighting. He must care about her. He’d helped her a lot over the past weeks and even before the things with her dad there’d been something building there, hadn’t there? Something she didn’t really want to admit to herself because she couldn’t bare the heartache.

And that was the crux of the matter wasn’t it, because those feelings were like Schrodinger’s cat right now, in a box, not one thing or the other.

If she kissed him now, or even if she asked him out on a date that would be an admission of feelings that might not be reciprocated and then, well then, she would have admitted to herself that she liked him as more than a friend and if he didn’t? Then she’d have to eventually watch him fall in love and date someone else. Which was a possibility even if he did reciprocate those feelings and they dated. Maria would always be supportive were that to happen, would want him to be happy but it wouldn’t make the ache in her chest any easier to bare.

If she didn’t kiss him, if she locked away or dismissed these feelings as just one too many romance novels and the ‘magic’ of prom night after being stood up, well, then they stayed firmly where they were. In limbo. Unable to move to heartbreak or happiness.

“Maria-“ Giles began. Maybe not a kiss, but now, now was the right time to ask her to dinner. All those other times had clearly not been right. This was it though, this was the moment. Just dinner, well a date, he’d make it clear it was a date so she didn’t just think it was dinner like they had at the shop when he went over to rant or dinner when she brought doughnuts to the library and Buffy and everyone else ended up joining them. “Maria-“

“MARIA! GILES! HI!” Xander suddenly interrupted making them both jump and pull away awkwardly. “How are you? Tell us _everything._ Maria what are you doing here? Have you met Anya?”


	11. The Ashes of Sunnydale

“Maria.” Giles said gently, nudging her.

He didn’t really want to wake her up. She looked so peaceful and he knew she had been hitting the books just as hard as him, if not harder (as that was the only thing she saw she could contribute), trying to find out about the ascension, how to stop it, how best to help Buffy. Giles didn’t think he’d ever been more grateful for her companionship.

Her natural sleeping state seemed to be with a book in her hand and it was no different here in the library apparently, where she’d nodded off, head balanced on her fist, book on her lap.

“Maria.” Giles said again giving her another nudge.

Now was the time for her to go, now was the time for her to leave Sunnydale, especially after the Mayors surprise visit and the realisation he was invulnerable. Giles wouldn’t ask her to stay through that. He wouldn’t let her sacrifice herself in that way, that was for him and the others; well him and Buffy.

He kept choking off the thought of her dying. There were any number of ways and they kept flashing across his mind, paired often with thoughts of Jenny. He should have told Jenny to go when he’d had the chance. Of course, if the end of the world was coming, Maria would probably end up gone one way or the other, but even that caused a pain in his chest. Now would be the perfect time to tell her about how he felt but he also didn’t want to run the risk of her thinking that his admission was _only_ because of the end of the world.

Maria stirred, opening her mouth in a slightly pained expression as she moved her neck from side to side.

“I think I’m getting too old to be falling asleep like this.” Maria said rubbing her neck and scooping up the book she’d been making her way through and just like that Giles forgot about asking her to leave.

“I thought we’d have the upper hand given Anya’s knowledge but I still feel like we don’t know enough.” Giles replied.

“We’ll get there.” Maria said. “I need coffee. Do you still have those Robusta Beans I gave you?” She yawned, getting up out of her seat and started towards his office. “I was wondering, you know, if you’d teach me to sword fight, when this is over.” She asked chewing her lip.

“It was hardly sword fighting.” Giles replied with a grin.

“It looked like it and it looked cool, well you did, Wesley looked more-“

“Uncool?” Giles suggested raising a brow. He liked the compliment though, even if Maria saying something looked cool seemed ridiculous.

“It doesn’t have to be sword fighting- just- I mean, now I know all about this world, now I’m helping you out I think I should at least know a few tips and tricks to be able to defend myself. Even how to punch right would be a start.” Maria said.

Giles watched her, he always loved how animated she got when she talked. Suddenly he was overcome with a sadness he couldn’t place. She couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t risk losing her. So, he hadn’t asked her to dinner yet, hadn’t plucked up the courage to kiss her during their many long nights in the library. So, he hadn’t been able to tell her how he felt, that didn’t mean he didn’t feel it.

“Maria you need to leave.” Giles said quietly.

Maria turned to look at him and then looked around the library, holding her stance like she was ready to see a demon.

“What’s wrong? Is there something here?” She whispered back, eyes darting around the room.

“No.” Giles swallowed and sighed. “You need to leave town, you need to go home and pack now before all of this comes-“

“I’m not going anywhere.” Maria replied. “Rupert are you being serious? I’m not going to leave you here, when there’s the potential a 50ft demon is going to spring out of the Mayor and kill you.”

“Maria this is- it’s not safe.” Giles pointed out.

“This whole town isn’t safe.” Maria replied rolling her eyes.

“There’s nothin-“ Giles started and Maria cut him off.

“I can do? Tell me which of the teenagers involved in this can read in multiple languages and two books at once.” Maria braced a hand on her hip and if the situation weren’t so dire Giles might have admired how being annoyed made her look. “I may not be a- a- fighter in the traditional sense. I can’t kick arse like Buffy, Xander or you and I’m not amazingly technically savvy like Willow, but I have my uses and I’m going to stay here and put them to- well to use.”

Giles opened his mouth to argue but there was a crashing noise from the other end of the library. Buffy had come through the door supporting Angel who had an arrow sticking clean out of his chest.

“Nobody’s going to shoot me.” Maria hissed at him when Giles looked at her with a raised brow again.

#?#

As the rubble of Sunnydale High burned to ashes, Giles found himself torn. Too many people to look for to check on. Whilst he knew that Buffy and the others should be his first priority, he _knew_ that each of them would be looking for the others. That, he reasoned, was why he was so intent on finding Maria. Scouring the distance for her.

She emerged from the smoke and mist rubbing the arm of a rather shell-shocked student, before handing them off to a group of their peers.

“I told you nobody was going to shoot me.” Maria grinned at him. Giles pulled her into a hug and Maria flushed at the unusual display of affection. Maria wrapped her arms back around him and inhaled. He didn’t quite smell like Rupert right now, what with the smoke and demon in the air but it was still there, beneath it all. She loved that smell; like books and coffee and cigarettes, with something else mixed in. She didn’t know whether it was shampoo or after-shave but it was just something that only smelt like Giles. She hated the way it felt like home, being in his arms like this felt like home. Felt right. She didn’t want to let go, didn’t want him to let go.

“You alright?” Giles pulled back, coughing awkwardly after a moment too long.

“I was almost eaten by a vampire and just watched the Mayor turn into a giant reptile-” Maria paused to wipe her head with the back of her hand. “It’s all a bit exciting isn’t it.” She grinned at him with a twinkle in her eye that said, none of this, as it hadn’t before, had quelled her curiosity for this new world he’d brought her into.

“So-” She chewed the inside of her lip and Giles couldn’t help thinking again how perfect this moment would be to kiss her. Wasn’t that what romantic heroes did? Wouldn’t it be kind of bad-ass (as Buffy might say) considering they’d defeated a monster and the school was burning away behind them. “-does this mean you’ll teach me how to sword fight? And punch properly?”

“I suppose I’ll have to yes.”

“I think I’d quite like to learn how to use a baseball bat too, though I suppose that’s not really weaponry is it, of course there’s cricket bats but I think they’d be far more difficult. Imagine trying to see off the undead with a cricket bat.” Maria rambled. Inside her stomach and chest seemed littered with butterflies. How romantic it would be to kiss after surviving the end of the world. How romantic to declare feelings amongst the fire and the rubble. She couldn’t though.

No matter how much these feelings threatened to burst forth, she had to keep a lid on them, she was tying herself in knots in her own head. She needed to evaluate her feelings away from everything that had happened, away from the intensity of world ending and shattering revelations. Away from Rupert Giles and his stupidly perfect smile. She needed to evaluate this mess in her chest away from all of this.

Maria banished the thought she was merely avoiding the possibility of rejection, given that her feelings for Rupert Giles and his, well, everything had started long before the things to do with her father, or prom or the end of the world.

“Buffy looks a little lost.” Maria swallowed as her eyes landed on the girl. She ignored the voice in her head calling her a coward for moving the subject on. “You should go and check on her.” Maria said, noting something torn in Giles’ expression. “She needs you.”

“What are you going to do?” He asked turning back to Maria as Xander spoke to Buffy.

“Oh, I think after all of today’s excitement a bath and a good book are needed. Maybe some sleep, lots of sleep.” She admitted on a yawn.

“Just don’t fall asleep in the bath.” Giles felt something in him sink. _Coward_ the voice in his head shouted. Another missed opportunity.


	12. Just Friends

“Rupert, I- I wanted to know if you wanted to go for dinner, like a date?” Maria asked before sighing and closing her eyes. “Hi, Rupert, I like you. I think we should go on a date? Hey, I was just passing and thought maybe I could snog you because I’ve been wanting to do it for a- for godsake!” Maria paced away from the door and back to it. “Hey, I thought we could go to dinner, maybe a date. Good that’s good, that’s simple, fine and simple. Right, Maria, you survived the ascension, this is easy.” Maria closed her eyes, reached out a hand and knocked on the door.

When the end of the world was everyday life, confessing your interest in someone didn’t exactly seem time sensitive. Mostly, they survived which meant that there was a very good chance any sort of feelings shown at that time could have just been due to heightened anxiety. There was also a good chance things could get awkward.

Of course the Ascension would have been the perfect time to confess her feelings to Rupert, of course kissing him when they survived the 50ft demon lizard that had been the Mayor seemed romantic, what happened after though? What if Rupert rejected her? What if he kissed her back then woke up and regretted it when he realised actually, he was going to live for at very least another few months. Maria hadn’t been able to bring herself, like she hadn’t at the Prom, to tell him.

She couldn’t stand it anymore though. The not knowing, the second guessing herself. The feeling the weight of this in her chest, ready to burst out of her at any moment. She couldn’t stand the way her brain drove in circles with all the what ifs of the situation.

The fact was she liked Rupert, a lot, she was very very attracted to him and she wanted this to be something more than what it was. She wanted to kiss him and hold him and cuddle up with him on the sofa. She wanted another level of intimacy to their relationship. She wanted most things they already had with the extra ability to touch him. She’d had a week, maybe two without speaking to him and she’d mostly thought about how she missed him. She’d mostly wanted to show him things she discovered reading, tell him about interesting facts she’d picked up, or that she’d found a couple of songs on her mother’s cassettes she thought he’d like. It had done nothing to subdue her feelings and everything to force her into admitting them.

She was going to confess and either Rupert Giles was going to accompany her on a date, or he was going to flat out reject her.

Maria clutched the brown paper bag in her hand. Just in case she bottled it she had brought dinner. Sandwiches, tea, beer and even some scones from the bakery down the road. Real jam and cream that her aunt had sent her from England.

“Maria-“ Giles said as he opened the door in a velvet dressing gown.

“Hey, I thought you’d like dinner.” She said holding up the bag. “Are you okay you look-“ Maria felt her heart drop into her stomach. The flames of disappointment rushed up her face and into her eyes where they burned. “I knew I should have called.” She half laughed, swallowing back the breaking of her heart. There was a woman in his house. A beautiful woman dressed in nothing but Rupert’s shirt and Maria didn’t need a map to know what was going on.

How could she have read the situation so wrong? How could she have even thought she stood a chance. Rupert had any number of women wanting him. As if he’d settle for Maria. She’d taken too long.

“Here, you uhm, you may aswell take this. I’ll never finish it all.” Maria held out the bag to him as Giles studied her face.

“What’s all this then?” Olivia asked peering around him. Another dagger drove its way into Maria’s heart.

“Maria brought lunch.” Giles said quietly, guilt and shame welled up in him. He didn’t know where he stood with Maria. After prom, after the ascension, he’d not stopped thinking about her, about being able to hold her, to kiss her, to dance in the living room with her when the rain was bad. He’d also gotten lonely though. What could he even offer her now he was no longer a watcher? He was jobless and he’d started to see his hanging around the shop as a nuisance to her.

When Olivia had called him, he couldn’t refuse. His ego calling out to be massaged by a woman he knew for certain found him attractive. Besides, it might be good to clear his head of Maria, maybe another woman would make him realise that his feelings were born from an intense situation, not anything real.

“Oh, are you coming in?” Olivia asked, her smile was so genuine Maria couldn’t even be angry with her.

“No, no, I’ll leave you to it. I should get back to the shop anyway. There are deliveries this afternoon and I don’t one hundred percent trust the new girl just yet.” Maria managed to get out. “Enjoy, I’ll uhm, I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll call you.” Giles said, feeling something inside himself sinking as she walked away.

#?#

Maria had no real memory of getting back to the shop, of opening up, or of serving any of the customers that occupied seats. Time seemed to move in a blur, a hollow kind of molasses that saw her standing still and the world still moving around her.

A hollowness had swelled inside her chest, making her throat tight. She felt like she was going to break any moment. Just split apart right there on the shop floor. How could she have read things so wrong? Every fear she’d had, every doubt had been confirmed with that image. Maria had no idea who this woman was but every time she thought about those long legs in Giles’ shirt it tore another strip away inside her.

Had she taken too long? Is that what it was?

Giles didn’t seem shy about getting what he wanted though, so if he was interested wouldn’t he have made a move by now. Not just hugs after dangerous encounters and what might have been almost kisses at prom.

“H-hey, are you okay?”

Maria looked up to see a young woman before her. There’d been an influx of business over the summer, and she didn’t think it would tail off until Christmas at least. A lot of college kids seemed to enjoy the nicheness of the tea shop. Some enjoyed how quiet it could be between the breakfast and afternoon rushes.

“It- it’s just you normally shut up shop about thirty minutes ago and I would have told you earlier but I was too busy with my head in this.” She waved the book in front of Maria who took a moment to focus.

“Oh god, look at the time. Sorry, I uhm, I was in my head.” Maria replied. “You can take it with you if you want.” Maria gestured to the book.

“Oh no, no I can’t do that.” The girl replied shaking her head.

“I’ve seen you in here a few times, I think you’ll be back. It’s a loan anyway.” Maria said trying to distract herself from the pain in her chest.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little discombobulated is all. I should be locking up. You just finish that and bring it back when you’re done.” Maria said. “I’m Maria by the way.”

“Tara-“ The girl replied with a nervous smile. The door behind them rattled as it opened, and Maria really wished she’d locked up on time. At least then she could have hidden in the back.

“Maria I-“ Giles had started before he’d even properly gotten through the door.

“Bye.” Tara gave a short nod and hurried out of the shop.

“Hey, how uhm, how was lunch?” Maria asked turning away from Giles like she was making herself busy with the closing of the shop. The truth was she didn’t want to face him. The pain in her chest seemed to worsen, that throb and sting like someone expanding a cactus inside a balloon. She wasn’t going to get upset though. She wasn’t, because once all of this settled down, all this pain and hurt and heartbreak inside her she’d feel better. It would become nothing more than a dull ache and she’d accept just being his friend.

“It was good yes, that jam was lovely.” Giles replied, sticking his hands into his trouser pockets awkwardly.

“My aunt sent it over. Technically she’s my step-aunt really but she’s always treated me like a niece, if that makes sense. I mean what do people even treat their nieces li-“ Maria stopped mid ramble just stopped.

“Maria, I-I really should have told you Olivia was coming over and that I’d be busy.” Giles said.

He’d not been able to get that flicker of disappointment in her eyes out of his head. The way her voice had almost broken saying everything was fine. He tried, god knows he tried. Olivia was a good distraction but still guilt welled inside him. Whether it was guilt at having another woman in the house, (though he and Maria hadn’t been dating) or guilt that he was with Olivia and thinking about Maria, he couldn’t separate the two and it just sat, heavy in his chest.

Maria flexed her hands on the counter and took a deep breath. She just needed to keep herself together long enough to either get him out of here or get home. That was all. She just needed that. After all, it wasn’t _his_ fault she’d stupidly gotten carried away with feelings in her own head.

“No, no of course not. Why would you need to tell me? Don’t be silly. I should have called first is what I should have done. I-I didn’t even think.” She replied scratching at the back of her head.

“Olivia is an old friend.” Giles said, feeling idiotic as the words came out of his mouth.

“The kind of old friend that fell for your Pink Floyd line?” Maria replied, hoping the bitterness she felt didn’t spill over into her tone.

“I-“ Giles started and then stopped. “She’s just passing through.”

“And over and under if the lack of clothing and the mussed hair were anything to judge by.” Maria joked, even as she did though it caught in her chest. “She’s ah- she’s very pretty. How long is she with you for?”

“Just a few more days. I should have-“

“No, no don’t. I should have called. I just-“ and then it came to her. The perfect get out of jail free, the thing to stop her confessing and stop this crumbling. “- you hadn’t been by the shop in a few days, I thought with how busy I’d been the other day you might have gotten a bit annoyed, free stock help and all that. I was just coming to make it up to you. You’re, you’re my closest friend Rupert, I just didn’t want to have ruined it in some way.”

“Friend- yes- friend.” Giles didn’t know what he’d been expecting but it clearly wasn’t that given the way his heart seemed to sink to his knees with those words. Had he been expecting some sort of declaration, an explosion of feelings even though he had Olivia waiting at home? No, Maria was too kind, to honourable for that sort of thing which was more than could be said for him. “I never mind helping you out, I just thought I was cluttering up the place a bit and then Olivia said she was dropping by-“

“And you did that, and rightly bloody so. Just for the record though you weren’t cluttering up the place. I like having you around.” Maria admitted. “Now, did you come down here just to apologise for something, you definitely shouldn’t be apologising for or did you want something.”

“Actually-” Then he saw it, his get out of free card. “- I told Olivia about your Bleu Blush tea, she said she wanted to try it. So, I thought I could chance you still being here.”

“Of course! Yes, here, uhm-“ Maria flustered for a moment before finding a bag for him and handing the tea over. “On the house, you know the rules. Though when you’re free again, after she’s gone. I could use some help with some mixing. Bette doesn’t seem to be very good at that, and she seems rather uninterested, in everything.”

God he’d spent too much time with teenagers. That’s what all this was. He’d spent too much time with Buffy and Xander and Willow and their discussions about romantic entanglements. He’d spent too much time thinking and making things more than they should be. He was old enough to know better. Of course Maria was just his friend, why wouldn’t she be. Hadn’t he seen her type at Prom, though that was up for some debate given they rarely talked about romantic affairs. Why would she have wanted anything more from him? Especially given how complicated his life was. Why would she want him now he was jobless and a little directionless given that he was no longer Buffy’s watcher, given that she no longer really needed a watcher.

Of course Maria didn’t want to get herself involved with him in that way. Not when she could have her pick of the bunch. Not when she could quite easily meet someone normal, someone who didn’t come with a trail of demons, teenagers and slayers.


	13. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something short and sweet before a fun three part-er to bridge a gap and then comes Hush and I have a feeling Giles is going to be confronted about his feelings one way or another....

“Is all this really neccersary?” Giles asked from the top of a ladder as Maria passed him a sticky taped string with bunting attached.

“Of course it is! It’s Halloween.” Maria grinned at him. Giles frowned at her. “What? I love Halloween!”

“I just never had you down as the sucked into these holidays type.”

“Oh, I love them. I love Halloween, Valentines, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter. Anything I can get the bunting out for and throw a costume on.”

“And what costume would you be wearing on Valentines day?”

“Something edible probably.” Maria’s head whipped around as Giles’ mouth dropped open at Xander’s quip. “Looks good, out here. I finished setting up the skeleton in the corner, you want to come see?”

Since Xander wasn’t attending College he’d been looking for odd jobs and Maria was more than happy for the help and more than happy to pay him. She imagined he felt a little left out, especially given that Buffy and Willow seemed to have settled quite nicely into college life.

Things had settled back to a strained sort of normality between her and Giles. It felt like they were each treading on eggshells in order to spare the other one’s feelings. Avoiding each other wasn’t the answer though. It didn’t work. Maria missed him. She’d considered going back to New York for Halloween. The invite from old friends had been sat on her desk, but the shop had been doing so well recently she didn’t want to leave now. That and there was a certain excitement in her stomach that something might happen around Halloween and she’d quite like to be here for it, rather than have to listen to the tale regaled to her later.

“When do you want it dismantling again?” Xander asked as he held up his hands to show off his work.

“First of November. I’ll go lowkey on the Thanksgiving decorations but I’ll definitely need your help again for Christmas.” Maria said excitedly. Giles nearly jumped out of his skin as he approached the skeleton, roughly the same height as him with cartoonish features and eyes, it jumped into a rendition of the Ghostbusters theme song, moving it’s arms and legs with the music.

“Aren’t you worried this’ll get a little…. Annoying?” He asked.

“I think it really classes the place up.” Xander replied as the skeleton continued to dance and Xander tried to imitate it.

“I can set him so he only goes off every once in a while and turn him up and down and if he does get annoying I’ll just turn him off. He shouldn’t go off when it’s quiet. The kids will love him though. He was such a bargain, can you believe someone was selling him for $30” Maria beamed.

Xander and Giles exchanged looks that said they could well believe that. The thing looked very tatty, which considering it couldn’t have been more than ten years old said something about it’s previous ownership.

“I’m going to be Dana, on the big day.” Maria said. “You know, _only zhul_.” She imitated.

“Well let’s hope for all our sakes we don’t get cursed into costumes again otherwise you’ll be releasing Zhul on the whole town.” Xander said offhandedly. “And I don’t know anyone dressing as Ghostbusters.”

Maria looked between Xander and Giles with a raised brow.

“You remember me telling you about the time everyone was turned into their costumes.” Giles prompted. “Though that is unlikely to happen again.”

“I’ll still be dressing in something heroic, just in case.” Xander pointed out. “Maybe Giles should be a Ghostbuster now, just in case.” Xander smirked.


	14. Don't You, Forget About Me - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is going to be a three part-er.  
> Honestly teen Giles was too fun to not want to play around with.... so this is just a bit of fun. Maybe if you're lucky I'll throw in a kiss.

_“He’s the research man and she’s, whatever she is. They lend only knowledge to the Slayer. Younglings are stupid and flappable. We take those two, the arc will be easy to get to, they won’t figure out in time why we need the keys only that we were trying to get them.”_

#?#

“This cake is-“ Giles made a noise in the back of his throat and Maria grinned at him.

“I know, it’s all over your face.” She laughed tossing him a cleaning cloth. “I can’t take credit for this one, I got it from the bakery up the road. It’s run by this lovely little woman. She’s never said as much but I feel she might have been a demon at some point. Baking skills like this don’t come naturally.”

Giles nearly choked on his mouthful and Maria grinned at him.

“You’re joking.” He shook his head and drank some of his ice-tea, shooting her an unimpressed look.

“Sometimes it’s really easy Rupert.” They looked at each other for a moment longer than was really comfortable considering they were both fighting feelings and Maria looked away. “I did get it from the bakery though. I’m thinking about maybe asking if they want to sell some bits and pieces in here. Lot of college kids with the munchies.”

#?#

“We need Giles for this. We need his books and brains. Whatever those things were they’re not just using brawn and it’s kind of freaking me out.” Buffy scowled dusting herself off. “Sounded like they were speaking in something old.”

“They didn’t really seem like they wanted to hurt you Buffy. Just wanted whatever was in that crypt” Willow said as though that made the situation any better.

“Not yet, but I don’t trust demons who’re just trying to steal. They’re always up to something bigger. Besides what were they doing at the museum too? I don’t trust demons at a museum. Remember it wasn’t that long ago when Xander got an STD.” Buffy said.

“Nobody needs to remember that.” Xander said. “And nobody wants that again, least of all me.”

“He should be at the teashop, he said he was having lunch with Maria.” Willow grinned. “Doesn’t sound like lunch is going to well.” Willow’s smile turned to a frown as they approached the shop and heard loud music coming from inside.

“Or maybe it’s going too well.” Xander wriggled his eyebrows at Buffy and Willow. Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed open the shop door.

“Turn it down!” Maria was stood with her arms folded angrily behind Giles who was fiddling with the stereo. “That’s far too loud!”

“Good music should be played loud!” Giles turned it up some and Maria tried to get past him to turn it back down.

“Oh no.” Buffy said as Giles gave up and moved out of Maria’s way.

“You need to chill out, just let the music in.” Giles said smoothly.

“Oh no.” Buffy closed her eyes and then looked at Xander and Willow to check they were seeing this. They’d only ever seen Giles look like this once. When Ethan Rayne had sold candy to the town that turned all their parents into teenagers again. He’d taken off his jumper and tied it around his waist. Cigarettes tucked into the rolled-up sleeve of his t-shirt.

“You need to turn that down and you need to get out of this shop.” Maria said looking incredibly flustered, frustrated and cross.

“You need to chill out love, you don’t own it and there’s no one even in here, except-” Giles turned to see Buffy, Xander and Willow staring open mouthed at them. “What are you staring at? Hang on a minute, I feel like I know you.” He squinted.

“Oh no.” Willow said.

“Think Buffy already got that one Wil.” Xander replied.

“Buffy, nice name! Cool, cool!” Giles said putting a cigarette into his mouth.

“You most definitely will not be smoking that in here!” Maria said snatching it out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry about this, I’ve no idea who this, this reprobate is.” Maria said picking the cigarette up from under her foot. “How can I help?”

“Reprobate?” Giles barked out a laugh and smoothed over his hair again.

“Giles, Maria, I’m gunna need you to tell me that this is a joke right about now.” Buffy groaned.

“What? What’s a joke?” Maria asked looking blankly at them.

“Yeah you would ask that.” Giles rolled his eyes and Maria scowled at him crossing her arms again.

“Could you leave now please?” Maria said.

“Not when it’s pissing you off so much. What’s the matter darlin’ am I getting under your skin?” Giles grinned at her.

“You ripped my paper.” Maria said angrily.

“You need to loosen up.” Giles said again.

“Enough!” Buffy said making them all jump.

“Sorry, I’m Maria, but you knew that, so we’ve met before clearly. Sorry you’ll have to forgive me, my brains a little fuzzy at the moment which is kind of disconcerting given how much I usually remember. I mean I can read in ancient- but you don’t need to know that- sorry how can I help?” Maria babbled.

“Giles h-how’s your head?” Willow asked.

“Now you mention it, fuzzy. Can’t think what I’d be doing in here with- actually-” Another grin crossed his face and Maria looked disgusted scowling at him. “Don’t pretend you wouldn’t.”

“Not even if mummies jammed a metal pole up my nose, scrambled my brains and pulled them out.” Maria replied.

“That was a visual I didn’t need.” Buffy said turning her back on them as they continued bickering. She looked at Xander and Willow for some clue as to what was going on.

“Uhm maybe they’re current predicament is down to-” Xander pointed to the cake on the side.

“It’s funny me working here you know. My last name is Bingley and this is Meryton.” She smiled enthusiastically. “Maybe that’s why they employed me. Pride and prejudice and all that. I always preferred Jane and Charles to Lizzie and Darcy. They were just so adorable and- sorry I’m babbling again. You look perplexed are you okay?” Maria asked.

“You look perplexed, what century are you from?” Giles teased.

“Maria how old are you?” Buffy asked.

“Seventeen of course.” Maria replied.

“Giles?” Willow turned to him as he put his feet up on the table where he sat.

“Eighteen.” He grinned.

“Take your feet down!” Maria sounded panicked as she bustled over and pushed his feet off the table. “People read on those!”

“Wow, Maria was a nerd with a capital N when she was a teenager.” Willow said causing Buffy and Xander to look at her. “She is, she might be worse than me.”

“You are insufferable. Just, just stop touching things.” Maria said taking a candle holder from Giles and putting it back in the centre of the table. Xander could see him smirking out of the corner of his eyes, clearly enjoying winding Maria up.

“What are we going to do? We came here for help!” Buffy cried throwing her hands up in the air.

“You did? What did you need help with?” Maria asked her ears perking up.

“Demons, arks, intelligence, research.” Buffy said sliding hands into her back pockets. “Do you not remember anything?” She asked.

“Of course, there’s a test on Friday, I’ve two essays to write and I’ve a stack of books at home I need to get through and-” Maria started.

“And?” Buffy said.

“I’m not sure. Now you’ve asked I’m really not sure about anything. All this is very discombobulating. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, what am I even doing here? I don’t remember talking to the proprietor, I don’t even know who it is. Oh my god what’s happening to me?” Maria started to breathe heavily and Willow crossed to her putting hands on her arms.

“It’s okay, it’s okay we’ll figure this out.” She said gently. “Try not to think about it.”

“Try not to think about it? How can I not think about it? I can’t remember anything. I’m Maria, Maria Bingley, I can remember everything I read, well almost. This is not normal. What is happening to me?” Maria was hyperventilating.

“Told you she needed to chill.” Giles sauntered over, picking a paper bag up off the side and holding it out to Willow. “I can’t remember shit either, you don’t see me panicking.”

“Why does Giles look like that?” Anya asked strolling into the tea shop. “I was looking for you there’s some demons hovering around the museum and they’re creepy.”

“Will you stop calling me that. My name is Ripper.”

“No, it’s not your name is Giles and you’re a 40 something year old man not a teenager so snap out of it!” Buffy snapped at him. “And you are- well you’re younger than him but you’re still not a teenager and we need your help because we don’t know what these creepy not trying to hurt us demons want.”

“Buffy!” Willow said, arm still around Maria.

“I’m not seventeen?” Maria said looking down at her hands and then picking up a spoon to have a look. “I’m not seventeen. What’s happened to me? Why can’t I remember anything? Okay let me think logically about this, except I can’t think logically about this because I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning. All I know is that I’m seventeen and I have tests coming up and essays to write and and and and- WILL YOU PUT THAT OUT!” Maria snatched another cigarette from Giles’ mouth.

“Just found out I’m a forty-year old man apparently. Think I deserve a smoke.” He shrugged.

“Oooh cake!” Anya grinned walking over to the counter she went to smell it and then wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no thank you. This, smells funny.”

“Funny how? Funny haha?” Xander asked.

“Funny like magic.” Anya replied.

“Oh great. What kind of magic?” Xander asked happy that Anya might have the answers for them.

“The king of magic that turns you from Giles to-“

“My name is bloody Ripper!” Giles suddenly shouted slamming his hand on the table.

“Ripper?” Maria laughed at him.

“Shut it Bingley.” Giles shot back.

“What kind of name is Ripper?” Maria asked. “Who do you think you are Sid Vicious?”

“Why don’t you keep pushing and find out.” He said shoving the table and stalking off to the other end of the store. Maria flinched but kept watching him as he walked near the books.

“Will you two stop!” Buffy snapped again. “Oh my god, there are demons running wild, we need you to snap out of it!”

“Buffy this isn’t like when all the adults ate that candy, this is, they really think they’re seventeen and eighteen. No dream, no fuzz. No remembering he’s your watcher, or what they’re supposed to be doing. What are we going to do?” Xander asked.

“Willow do you think you can find something to break the spell?” Buffy asked.

“Sure, if I can go back to Giles’ and get at the books.” Willow said.

“When you say demons?” Maria asked.

“She means pointy fanged horned things.” Giles replied and Maria’s eyes went wide, not with fear but with excitement.

“Maybe I can help?” Maria offered.

“You?” Giles snorted looking at her, he had another cigarette hanging out of his mouth and Maria looked ready to blow a gasket.

“I think maybe it’s best if you-” Buffy started.

“Look, I know I’m not a fighter, I’m not strong. I can’t battle a demon. I’m not asking to do that I’m sure that’s your job anyway and no I don’t know magic. But there’s one thing that I am and maybe that can help.” Maria said confidently. “I’m a bibliophile, and, I can read in twelve dead languages, including ancient Egyptian and Greek. Old Norse and Middle English as well Coptic and Sanskrit. Bibliophiles can be very useful.”

“Damn straight.” Willow said grinning at Maria like she was a new puppy she’d been gifted.

“Okay. New plan. Willow, you and Anya see if you can figure out how to reverse whatever’s in that cake.” Buffy started.

“Why do I have to do that, I only came to tell you about the museum and then I was going to get a coffee.” Anya pointed out with a huff.

“An, honey, please. You can help.” Xander pointed out.

“Fine, but this better not last all day. There’s a documentary about animals on I want to watch later.” Anya grumbled before reluctantly agreeing.

“Xander, you come with me we’ll go to the museum and see if we can’t head them off and away from whatever it is they’re trying to get their hands on. You two-” Buffy turned on Giles and Maria “- you two can stay here and research and when you run out of books here you can go to Giles’”

“You can’t leave me behind with the nerd like some lackey. I’ll be more use than this fop.” Giles said gesturing to Xander.

“No!” Buffy said holding a hand up.

“Can’t you take him with you? I don’t need anyone helping me.” Maria said scowling at Giles.

“No. Besides you need someone with you in case whoever did- this- to you comes back.” Buffy said reluctantly.

“I could lock the door.” Maria said hopefully.

“What’s the matter darlin’? Scared you’re not gunna be able to resist me?” Giles teased.

“I hardly think that will be a problem.” Maria replied. “So, what are these demons looking for exactly?” Maria asked.

“We’re not sure exactly but they’ve been hanging around the museum a lot, well the past day or so, and they were trying to steal this from a crypt in the mausoleum when we stopped them. It’s engraved.”

“And worth a fortune.” Giles whistled.

“It’s a key.” Maria said.

“It’s a necklace.” Giles replied. “Gold, that’d be worth a fortune. I know a bloke if you wanted to sell it.”

“It’s a key, it’s got the word unlock engraved on the chain. I can see it from here. I want to say medieval era, but I can’t be sure until _I_ start looking more closely at it. It could be Egyptian.” Maria said. There was a glint in her eye of excitement.

“Oh yeah, that’s Coptic.” Giles said taking a closer look. “So Egyptian then, unless whoever made it was still using Coptic at the time.” He finished. “Probably.” He added when he realised everyone was staring at him. Especially Maria who had her mouth slightly ajar. 


	15. Don't You, Forget About Me - Part 2

“You know what darlin’ you’re just a snob!”

“I most certainly am not a snob how dare you. Just because I won’t bend to your charm doesn’t make me a snob. I know exactly what boys like you are like Rupert Giles, I know exactly what your game is, and I can tell you right now it isn’t working. I don’t think you’re cool or edgy.” Maria said viciously.

“You’ve got no idea about me.” Ripper retorted.

“Oh, I do. Cigarette hanging out of your mouth, thinking you’re some sort of Sid Vicious charmer, you’re not, you’re not in a band. And you definitely, did not help found Pink Floyd, you would have been about ten at the time.”

Ripper wheeled on her. She’d pressed one too many buttons now.

“Yeah, no that’s exactly what you are! You’re a snob. You think you’re better than everyone because you don’t know how to have fun. You think that if you don’t snog a bloke or smoke a ciggie or get shagged you’re some sort of saint. You think wrapping yourself in books and tests makes you better than all us lesser mortals who are doin’ what teenagers are supposed to be doing. It’s not surprising you don’t have any friends.”

“I have friends-”

“Yeah? Name em?”

“Well- I- before-” Maria stammered, aware, all at once, that she couldn’t actually remember any of her friends. American or English. Buffy and the others must have been her friends too though, given the way they referred to her, given the way Willow had been so nice to her.

“No before they were looking for me sweetheart, they weren’t looking for you were they. You’re just a scared little snobby princess, who thinks books are her friends because she doesn’t have any real ones. Enough of this, I’m out.”

Ripper stormed out of the shop, slamming the door so hard that the glass rattled, and the closed sign dropped to the floor.

Maria tearfully picked the closed sign up, thankful at least that the glass hadn’t shattered.

This had all been far too much.

Firstly, she couldn’t remember anything. Then Buffy had come into the shop and told them actually, she was a woman potentially in her forties and then she’d had to put up with Rupert Giles, a boy who behaved like he was some sort of rock star. A boy with the arrogance of someone who just had things handed to them. A boy with the arrogance of someone who was used to people fawning over him and thinking he was cool. A boy who, almost definitely, thought he could charm the pants off every girl he met. Maria Bingley was most certainly not one of those girls.

It was so frustrating because Maria could tell that past all that bravado there was an intelligent boy. He’d shown glimpses of it only to overshadow them with some cool façade.

And yes, _of course_ , there was a tiny part of her that was flattered by his attentions, a tiny part of her that liked his flirtations. He was no professor of English but there was something about him, he could read in a multitude of languages, including some she’d never heard of and despite his efforts to be cool, there was a little bit of nerd beneath the surface.

 _STOP_.

She thought to herself letting the sign swing back against the door. Boys like that were only interested in one thing and Maria was not the sort of girl who would give it up. When she finally did all that, she wanted it to be real. She certainly didn’t want it to be like her first kiss, or like when Tommy had groped her and told everyone he’d seen her naked. She wanted it to be real and romantic and like it was in the movies. She didn’t want to give anything away to a boy like Rupert who probably saw her as some sort of challenge and just wanted to get his end away.

Maria was about to latch the door when suddenly it was forced open by three men- no not men- demons.

*

Ripper was fuming. She could judge all she wanted from her ivory tower, but she had absolutely no idea about him, no idea what he’d been through. Snatching cigarettes from his mouth like she was his bloody mother. GOD she was the most frustrating girl he’d ever met, and he’d met a lot. How could she be this annoying. How could one girl get so far under his bloody skin. How could she be that beautiful and smart and- shit. Nope. Nope he didn’t like her, not like that. She was annoying and a snob and smart and when she got all angry her forehead crinkled and-. NO. Jesus Christ. He really wasn’t that desperate for a shag.

Maria’s scream reached halfway down the street.

Ripper stopped, considering continuing down the street for a moment before he sighed as resignation settled in his chest. He was going back, because as annoying as she was, he still bloody cared. As judgemental as she’d been he still didn’t want her being hurt, in fact the thought made anger jump in his veins, throwing his cigarette to the ground Ripper turned back towards the tea shop.

*

“We just want the amulet.” Three demons, one with horns and yellowing skin, scales covering his face. One with long greasy black hair, who was only recognisable as a demon if you really scrutinised him. One with bluish skin who blinked vertically making her shift uncomfortably.

“Well you can’t have it.” Maria said bravely sliding it behind her back, she had no idea what she was going to do, how she was going to keep it out of there slimy little hands but she was going to try. Especially if them getting it could lead to some sort of world ending catastrophe.

“You will give it to us girly.” One of the demons said and Maria swallowed. “Tell us where it is, and no one needs to get hurt.”

“Yeah except you.” Ripper appeared from behind them. Punching the greasy haired demon square in the face.

“Take your hands off me!” Maria cried as the yellow demon dived, picking her up around the waist, the blue demon advancing towards her. When he got close enough Maria kicked hard, sending the one holding her stumbling backwards and the other into the bookcase.

“Night Night!” Ripper said, throwing another punch and hearing the crunch of bone as the demon who’d hit the bookcase tried to regain his bearings.

“Give us the amulet.” The greasy haired demon tried to grab at Maria, who’d backed up into the counter, tucking her arm firmly behind her so he couldn’t get the amulet.

“Give. It. To. ME.” He growled wrapping cold grey fingers around her throat and starting to squeeze hard.

Maria gasped, not letting go of the amulet, the demon pressed on her windpipe and desperately she reached behind her, fingers finding the metal teapot, she gripped it hard, swinging it up and round into his head. She hit him again, and again and again and again until someone gripped her arm and she turned on them with her fist.

“Hey, OI!” Ripper shouted stopping her from hitting him. “They’re down.” He said letting go of her. “Now let’s see what this little pissants got in his bag.” Ripper knelt down, pulling things out of the bag the demons had dropped whilst Maria tried to catch her breath, finger marks starting to appear on her throat.

“Weird; guard uniform, torch, Id badge that isn’t his.” Ripper said with a frown. “No spell books, ingredients, not even any weapons.”

“OF COURSE!!” Maria shouted, slapping her hand against her forehead and causing Ripper to jump.

“What?”

“That explains everything, how could I have been so stupid.”

“We need to tie this lot up and call Buffy.”

“Going to tell me what’s going on?”

“I will yes, but let’s get these tied up first. I don’t fancy being strangled again.” Maria said rubbing her neck.


	16. Don't You, Forget About Me - Part 3

“There’s nobody at the museum Willow. We’ve been round here three times. Did you manage to find something to break the spell?”

“Well yeah, it’s pretty simple actually but I was thinking, maybe y’know, maybe we should leave them that way for a bit.”

“Willow please tell me you’re kidding! You know what happened last time Giles went all Ripper right?” Buffy made a grossed noise on the end of the phone.

“Well, I mean, I know but maybe if they- y’know, a little helping hand-“

“Ew, Willow no, just bring whatever it is they have to take, and we’ll meet you at the store.”

#?#

“You alright?” Ripper asked as Maria picked up a broken ornament and slid a book onto the bookshelf. “Got you pretty good there.” Ripper moved a strand of hair, his fingers almost but not quite brushing the bruising skin of her neck.

“It’s nothing.” Maria said tucking the strand behind her ear and looking up at Ripper nervously, her heart was beating a little too fast in her chest and she hoped that he couldn’t somehow hear it. “You saved my life.”

“Was hardly going to let them make mincemeat out of you.” Ripper replied quietly, eyes meeting hers, in the calm after the storm.

“I don’t think they would have done that.” Maria replied, shifting a little, as though if she did it would move the heat rising in her belly or the flush rushing to her cheeks.

“They might have.” Ripper shrugged sliding his hands into his pockets and looking away from her.

“What you said before-“ Maria started.

“Ah, ignore me. I was being an arse.”

“No, actually. You were right. I am a snob.” Maria said starting to pace. “I do think that learning and books make me, not better exactly but, well better than people who drink and smoke and party, but, well I suppose it’s really because, well, books and paper can’t hurt you can they. They can’t reject you and not invite you places, and they can’t drive you to a farmhouse and leave you there pretending there’s a party.” Maria stopped abruptly, realising she’d rambled on too much. Angry tears had welled in her eyes and Ripper felt just a tiny twinge of guilt. “So yes, I’m a bit judgemental but it’s to protect myself. I still think you’re far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for and I still think you’re wasting that intelligence, but I did judge you and I am sorry.” She apologised.

“Someone drove you to a-?” Ripper asked his brow furrowed in newfound concern.

“Yes.”

“And left you there?” Ripper pressed, things sort of making sense to him now. He’d just thought she was uptight but now there was a reason he felt at least a touch of remorse for winding her up so much.

“Yes. They told me a boy I liked was going, that he’d specifically asked me to go along. I got excited and it turned out there was no party, just a creepy abandoned farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. I had to walk about two miles before I found a telephone box. I was an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, they were.” Ripper said. Maria looked up to find he was much closer than before. “That’s just bloody cruel.” He reached out and tucked the strand of hair back behind her ear. “And you’re worth ten of that.”

Heat flooded Maria’s belly. She hoped her cheeks weren’t colouring as her heart thrummed wildly. She suddenly felt sensitive to everything, the air, the proximity to him. Was he going to kiss her? She wouldn’t mind if he did now, actually she rather wanted him to. Wanted him to press her into the bookcase with the heat of his kiss. It’d be the perfect time wouldn’t it? He’d just saved her life after all.

Ripper wanted to kiss her, god he wanted to kiss her. Not like earlier when it was just because she was pretty and angry and flustered. Now he wanted to really kiss her. Wanted to show her how mad that boy had been to miss out on her. Now he wanted to kiss her to show her that he really meant it, she was worth ten of that, hell she was worth a million of that and a million of him. Ripper’s hand hovered at her neck, his thumb almost but not brushing her cheek and then-

The spell was broken, Maria and Ripper sprang apart a little too quickly. Maria’s cheeks flushed with colour and Ripper moved away pretending to be fixing his hair.

“What the hell happened?” Buffy asked stepping over the trio of tied up unconscious demons. 

“Couple of demons trying to get your artefact. Nothing to worry about.” He said taking out a cigarette, that time Maria didn’t tell him off.

“Rupert was very brave.” Maria said as Ripper came to stand behind her.

“I told you to call me Ripper.” He said cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

“I’m not calling you that, your name is Rupert.” Maria replied but she was smiling. Buffy looked between them, confused and grossed out.

“But what happened? Why did they come here?” Buffy asked lifting one of the demon’s unconscious heads.

“Maria figured all that out.” Ripper pointed out. “She also took out that one, gave him a right nasty clout.”

“Well yes but I had help from Rupert, I really couldn’t have figured it all out without him.” Maria started and Willow made an aww noise before clapping a hand over her mouth when everyone turned to look at her.

“I’ll just-“ She said holding up a bag and walking over to the counter, pulling two cups down.

“So, they needed this-“ Maria said holding up the amulet by its chain. “Because it unlocks one of the sarcophagi at the museum, which in turn holds, or is rumoured to hold a sword who’s hilt is filled with rubies and emeralds and probably a diamond or two.”

“They weren’t trying to hurt anyone. It was a heist.” Ripper said and Maria glanced back at him. “Maria worked it all out when we found the uniform and the torch.”

“From what I can gather and from what you’ve said, Rupert is the elder, well I mean the older, uhm more experienced member of your little gang. The patriarch, intelligent and strong and learned-” Maria paused realising she’d said too much and been too complimentary. “-and because of this they thought if they incapacitated him in some way, you would struggle to work out what was really happening. Then by the time you did figure things out, or the spell wore off, they’d be long gone with the jewels.”

“But they didn’t count on Maria here being the beauty of a bibliophile that she is.” Maria looked around at Ripper a smile spreading across her face that made Buffy roll her eyes, she resisted the urge to make a gagging sound. “Smart and sexy.” He pushed and Maria blushed furiously. Until Xander coughed and Maria looked away from Ripper.

“Uhm, yes, so- so yes, they didn’t count on me knowing what I know and being able to read all those languages and they also didn’t count on you lot being quite so smart and-“

“Tea’s up!” Willow called. “This,” She said bringing two cups around and handing one to Maria and one to Ripper. “Should bring you back to normal.”

“Normal?” Maria asked.

“Help you remember everything, get you back to your old selves.” Willow smiled.

“Oh, that’s brilliant. Will- uhm, will we remember everything that happened?” Maria asked glancing back at Ripper.

“I don’t think so. Why, is there something you want to remember?” Willows teased.

“No, no, just that well I helped solve a heist and took down a demon. I wouldn’t mind remembering that.” Maria replied. Lifting the teacup to her lips.

“Don’t worry it happens all the time around here.” Xander said, playing with the edge of a cabinet.

“Well- uhm- it was-” Maria started, turning to Ripper with a hand outstretched. She was looking for the words to say it had been nice to meet him. She didn’t know if that would seem odd though, given that, in their older selves they were clearly friends. “It’s been-” She started but what exactly was the correct term in this situation? Pleasant? Interesting? Fun?

“Yeah it’s been-” Ripper replied scratching the back of his head before downing the tea Willow had poured out for him.

“I suppose I’ll see you on the other side.” Maria swallowing down her own bitter tea.

“Oh, bugger it, if we’re not gunna remember it anyway.” Ripper swept Maria into his arms and into a dramatic kiss that made butterflies erupt in her chest. Heat raced up from her stomach as Ripper’s firm, but gentle, hands and lips led them in their brief embrace.

“Are all Bibliophiles this much trouble?” He asked as he pulled away, his lips still dangerously close to hers.

Maria nodded, swallowed and that time it was her who instigated the kiss. Sliding her hands into his hair and wishing that she could pause the moment. Just linger in it a little longer, not forget this and return back to whatever her older life held.

Buffy made a gagging noise and turned away, whilst Willow made an aww sound.

“You definitely don’t have time for sex and it’d probably be better if you sit down, just in case you fall.” Anya pointed out loudly.

Buffy wrinkled her face up even further, the thought of Giles and Maria having sex no matter how old they word made her cringe inside.

Maria nodded and was about to take a seat when she sneezed three or four times and Ripper did the same. She sniffed rubbing the end of her nose before looking back up at them all.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“Oh you and Giles were just-” Anya started and Xander stopped her immediately. It was enough they were going to have to deal with being turned into teenagers. They didn’t need the embarrassment of a kiss they couldn’t remember on top of that.

“You just ate some bad cake!” He chimed in.

“Bad cake?” Giles said putting a hand to his head. “I feel like I’ve got a hangover.”

“That might be my fault. I think I added too much Copse Coli.” Willow added. “At least it reversed the enchantment.” She shrugged.

"I can taste cigarettes." Maria licked her lips, before making a smacking motion with her mouth and reaching for the dish of boiled sweets on the side.

“Enchantment?” Giles asked looking around the room before checking his watch and realising he couldn’t remember where the day had gone, nor did he know what three demons were doing tied up in the tea shop.

“I think the more pressing question is why on Earth are you dressed like you just starred in a stage production of Rebel Without a Cause?” Maria stifled a laugh looking at the others and then back to Giles. Giles looked down at himself.

“Oh god-”

“Yep.” Buffy replied.

“Oh god.” Giles repeated. 


	17. Hush

“I don’t want him to come either!” Xander protested to Anya.

“He could stay with me.” Maria said pointedly causing Giles, Xander and Anya to look at her and a grin to spread across Spike’s face.

“There see, perfect.” Anya practically beamed.

“Absolutely not!” Giles gave a strangled cry.

“Oh please, what do you thinks going to happen? Besides I’ve more than enough room, more room than Xander anyhow.” Maria folded her arms across her chest.

“I am here you know!” Spike grumbled.

“And I’m trying to do you a favour. You’ve already said he can’t hurt anyone. This way you all get your romantic days and Spike can probably tell me a few interesting stories.” Maria tailed off.

“Absolutely not.” Giles said moving Maria away from Spike and glancing over at him to see him smirking his head off. “Spike could still be dangerous. I can’t ask you-“

“To look after a vampire whilst you get your end away?” Maria asked, it was too blunt and too bitter, but it was unfair of him to show this much concern when he wasn’t going to care come midnight when he was kissing someone else. Maria knew this bitter jealousy was unlike her, she knew that it wasn’t really Giles’ fault that she’d been a coward, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help how it moved in her chest. How its cold, green fingers closed around her heart and forced the bitterness to spill into her voice.

“He’s worried I’ll seduce you.” Spike said suddenly over her shoulder.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Maria batted him away.

“He is, he’s worried you’ll fall for my wild charms if you’re with me for a few days.” Spike pressed. “He’s worried that you’re lonely and I’ll seduce you.”

“That is not the case at all.” Giles rubbed his temples.

“I don’t understand why it’s so awkward, they’ve already kissed why don’t they all just be orgasm friends together?” Anya asked Xander a little too loudly.

“We haven’t- what- what on Earth- why would we?” Maria garbled, a flush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.

“Yeah, what do you mean kissed?” Spike asked, lips pulling up into a smirk as he looked between Maria and Giles.

“We’ll take him!” Xander interjected before the conversation garnered even more awkward speed. “It’s fine we’ll take him but he’s being tied up.”

#?#

When Olivia had called to say she was visiting, Giles had been happy. Deep down inside he knew he was looking for a distraction from his feelings for Maria, looking for a distraction from the tension and the pain he felt.

What better distraction could he ask for? Things were mostly physical between him and Olivia, not really serious and maybe that was exactly what he needed right now. Olivia was young, beautiful, intelligent and she was sparky, a dry sense of humour like him.

Now though, in the dark of his bedroom, Giles couldn’t help thinking about whether this was really fair? Even if the parameters of his relationship with Olivia were implied in the fleeting visits she engaged in. Was it fair of him to be with her and be thinking about another woman? Was it fair of him to be midway through kissing her and wondering what Maria’s lips would taste like? Wondering what the skin of Maria’s hips would feel like in his hands. Wondering how she’d react to his lips on her throat and his hands on her thighs.

Anya had said they’d kissed, but Giles would definitely remember if he and Maria had kissed. Or would he? A spark of something came back to him, like an ember he couldn’t quite catch. The flash of Maria saying she tasted cigarettes after they’d both been reverted back to teenagers for the afternoon. He was being silly, Maria had probably smoked too _and_ if it had happened, especially in front of the others they’d have told him. Wouldn’t they?

Olivia shifted in her sleep and Giles felt guilt sweep over him. He should be thinking about the beautiful woman in bed with him. Not the beautiful woman he didn’t have the guts to tell how he felt. He couldn’t help it though as his mind wandered to Maria, wondering if she was still up and reading, or sleeping soundly. She’d have been talking with Spike had he not intervened, rather than alone.

Had he really been worried Spike would seduce Maria? Definitely not. Maria would nev- but then her attitude towards demons was certainly less judgemental than his. She had a don’t judge a book by it’s cover attitude that fascinated and worried him. Spike would probably have some story or another that would make her feel sympathy towards him. Plus, despite his youthful looks Spike was older, a lot older than any of them and Maria had expressed to him during several screenings of movies that she liked the older man.

Someone more well read than Spike though. Still the thought of Spike seducing her sparked something inside him that wasn’t worry about her getting eaten. It was somethings else. Something bitter and congealed that caused his teeth to grind.

#?#

Relief spread throughout Giles as Maria came through his ever-open front door.

He’d hit the books as soon as he’d realised the problem, knowing that everyone would be coming to him for answers. Everyone apart from her had been accounted for.

 _I can’t-_ she mouthed and then pressed at her throat. Giles nodded knowingly to her.

_I can’t speak, I’m sorry I didn’t know where else to go. I didn’t know what to do and I thought I saw something last night. I just- I thought you’d all be here, and I know you’re busy. I was worried something might have happened to you and-_

Giles took hold of her hands to stop the frantic signing Maria had been doing. It was impressive that she could ramble in any language, even American Sign.

_It’s okay. Why don’t we get you something to drink?_

_Rupert there’s something out there, this is not just, can’t- why aren’t you freaking out? It’s stolen our voices!_

_Luckily, we still use pen and paper as an alternative form of communication._ Giles replied gesturing to Willow and Buffy’s boards. Maria looked about to flap again though and he took hold of her hands, tucking a crooked finger under her chin and making her look at him. Maria felt calm sweep over her, warmth blossomed in her chest in a way only Giles could elicit and then she saw Olivia over his shoulder and pulled her hands away feeling embarrassment, hurt and maybe even a little shame.

 _I might have panicked._ Her hand fluttered across her chest trying to show the others what she meant. Willow took her pen and wrote on her whiteboard. _Hi Maria._ The tension left her again and Maria waved, smiling back at Willow.

 _Have you heard of the Gentlemen?_ Giles asked tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. Maria seemed to be doing that thing again, Willow called it her inner rolodex because it looked like she was trying to search through books in her head.

 _Anything more specific?_ Maria replied, Giles scratched his head and then remembered he’d written out the poem Buffy had recited. He handed it over to her.

 _This is from a fairy tale._ Maria said and Giles shook his head. _It is._ Maria responded, looking around at the others who shrugged, having no idea what Giles and Maria were signing between themselves.

 _I’ve read it._ Maria signed frustratedly.

 _It’s not from a fairy tale, these are real monsters._ Giles signed and Maria just looked at him like he was stupid, causing him to give her a look that said he still didn’t believe her.

 _It’s from a fairy tale. I’ve read it. I know I have. They need seven and they might take yours. They’re talking about hearts._ Maria made a sign to show the others and then patted her chest, forgetting once again that they couldn’t understand what her and Giles were saying to each other.

_Maria, they’re real monsters. Demons. Not fairy tale villains._

_And most vampires aren’t romantic lovelorn generals pining for their dead wives._

_Where have you read it? Maybe I have it here._ Giles swept his hand around, seeming to be coming around to the idea that she could be right.

 _No, I read it at home, definitely not here or the library or the shop. I can remember reading one about a baby eater in the same book and sleeping downstairs with the light on afterward. I know I have that book somewhere. I’ve definitely read it. I’ll find it and bring it back._ Maria signed with a determined look on her face she turned to leave, the others looked on still confused. Maria pointed to herself and then made the gesture of a book, then did something with her fingers that was supposed to resemble walking.

Giles grabbed her arm as she went to leave and for a split-second Willow thought he was going to kiss her.

 _Are you sure?_ He signed

Maria nodded and then signed _80%_ because Giles had made her doubt herself but she was sure she had read it.

 _Be careful._ Giles signed, not looking happy that she was heading back out into the streets alone.

#?#

Maria was buried beneath a mountain of books from the Mythology section of her shelves. She was on her fourth, possibly fifth book. Time and space disappeared around her when she was researching. Knowing this she’d prepared a flask with tea and a plate of biscuits to keep her going. Time had become a foreign concept.

It wasn’t until she found the correct book and called out, _I knew it._ That she realised she’d entirely lost track of time and clearly Buffy had already defeated the monster and restored order. She got up, blanket falling to the floor and walked straight to the phone to call Giles before pausing. He was probably busy with Olivia. With a sudden weightiness in her chest she replaced the receiver and returned to her fortress of books and tea.

#?#

“I think we need to talk.” Olivia stopped running her nails up and down Giles’ arm and sat up. 

“We do? That sounds ominous.” Giles replied trying to remain light despite the thickness that seemed to suddenly hang in the air.

“Rupert, when I go home this time I’m not coming back, not here, not like this.” Olivia said firmly.

“I- What? What do you mean?” Giles didn’t know why he was so surprised. He should have known this was coming, demons were a lot for anyone to get their head around, and even if they managed that, they were terrifying. To learn that all those things from myth and legend might be real, especially the terrible things, it was a lot to take in for what was supposed to be a fun and flighty visit.

“This is, it’s fun and it’s good but I think, you want something more. I think, you want someone to play mother while you play father and I am not, I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.”

“That’s not the case at all, what, Olivia where is this coming from?” Giles knew though, deep down he knew where this was coming from. Olivia hadn’t been the same since Maria had left to do her reading and find the book. He’d been itching to ring her since their voices came back, he wondered if she knew yet or if she was so lost in books she hadn’t realised. Olivia wasn’t stupid, she’d probably picked up on his looking at the phone, on the fact his mind kept flitting elsewhere.

“You’ve changed Rupert, in a good way but you’ve changed.”

“Well if it’s in a good way then why are you leaving?” Giles asked her, though he wasn’t sure _why_ he was even asking it anymore.

“Look it’s not you-“

“I’m sorry I’m having trouble believing that when-”

“Rupert you’re also in love with someone else. Someone who is much more inclined- no that isn’t the right word- someone who is much more okay with this whole magical saving the world sort of life.” Olivia put it the bluntest way she could to save them both the embarrassment of this back and forth.

“I am not.” Giles protested. If he wasn’t though how did he know exactly who she was talking about?

“Well maybe you haven’t admitted it to yourself yet, but you are. I’ve seen the way you look at her and part of me wishes you looked at me that way, but another part doesn’t. This, this whole chasing demons and saving the world thing it’s a LOT and it’s scary and when you add into that all these kids looking to you for guidance, not even in a teachery way but in a parental figure way, it’s-” Olivia tapered off and sighed, sliding her hands into her back pockets.

“But I never expected you-” Giles felt like he should explain.

“I know. I know you never expected me to be part of it but it’s inevitable really isn’t it. Eventually it’s going to come down to a choice of me or them, demon hunting or a quiet life and I don’t want to be the one to make you make that choice. In fact, I don’t think you _should_ have to make that choice.”

“I- uhm- I’m not sure what to say.” He really didn’t. Olivia was right he did have feelings for someone else and he did care about the kids (though they weren’t really kids anymore) like they were his own nieces and nephews and he already knew if it came down to it he’d probably always choose to help them. At least when it came to Olivia anyway. Hadn’t he been fired from the Watcher’s Council for having a father’s love for Buffy? Olivia’s reasonings too, were all the reasons he’d never initially asked Maria on a date, the reasons he’d chickened out before they’d found out her father was a vampire. Now his reason for not asking Maria came down to a fear of rejection, a fear of ruining what they had, a fear that she might not feel the same, a fear that one small sentence could change everything when there had already been so much change in his life.

“I think the fact you’re not begging me not to go is probably a sign that I’m right. You should tell her. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, the way she looked the first day she saw me here in your shirt.”


	18. Come and Get Your Love

“I mean, maybe you shouldn’t have said you were Buffy’s old school Librarian, it does come across a bit weird.” Maria said as she weaved through a group of students and diners.

“Maria! The tills stuck again!” Carlie, Maria’s newly appointed assistant called from behind the counter.

“That tables free, I’m just going to wipe it down in a sec.” Maria said as she passed a couple clearly after one of the sparse tables in Merryton. “I mean really you should have said you were an old friend of the family or an Uncle or something.”

“Well I would have said Watcher but I can’t very well reveal-“ Giles followed her around the store as she seamlessly weaved between customers and took care of things going on. Bashing the till with her fist to make it work. “She’s still dreadful, so full of herself and cocky and Buffy thinks she’s the best-“

“Remember when we talked about jealousy?” Maria stopped him, with two cups of tea on saucers in her hand and he went to take one before she shooed him off and carried them to a table.

“I’m not jealous.” He scoffed as she returned passed him again. Maria raised a brow and swept behind the counter to get a cloth and spray, wiping down the table that had just been vacated.

Giles stood back, suddenly feeling very out of place. Merryton had become more popular at lunch times recently and Giles had to admit he still wasn’t used to seeing the place so busy. He was clearly in the way _again_ , he seemed to be in the way everywhere at the moment. Could he really call the others his friends? He was more like an uncle figure to them and they were so young, _but you don’t have anyone else._ A voice in Giles’ head whispered.

Maria was lost to the bustle of the café then and Giles hadn’t felt so alone for a long time. He scratched the back of his head and made his way for the door just as Maria turned, finally free for a moment to give him some sort of reassurance and ask for his help.

#?#

_Hail, oh yeah  
Get it from the main vine, all right  
I said a find it, find it  
Go on and love it if you like it, yeah_

Maria sang loudly as she moved around the shelves taking stock of everything. Business had picked up, with people not only coming in to peruse the shelves but sit in rather than take tea out. There were quiet moments and she had to say she missed those most. She’d liked the shop a lot more when it was petering along and she’d been able to do most things herself. She’d liked the shop when it was quiet and she’d had a few regulars coming in for a space to relax at lunch, with a slight pick-up for takeaway teas and coffees at lunch.

She knew she should be grateful and that business could turn quickly, but part of her missed being able to read behind the counter and she hated all the extra boring admin that things going well created.

_Come and get your love!_

She danced around, enjoying the freedom of the space given it was early morning and it wasn’t open get.

_Come and get your-_

“ARGH!” Maria screamed on her turn and stumbled backwards. Scrambling for something to use as a weapon and accidentally picking up a sunflower. “What do you want?” She asked the way over 6ft creature, with horns and muscles and tufty white hair behind its ears.

_“Maria it’s me. It’s Giles something-“_

“I said what do you want?” She asked again. “You can’t want to eat me or you’d have done it whilst I was singing, so, so what-“

“ _Maria it’s me! Can’t you understand me?”_

“Well there’s certainly no need to make those sorts of noises.” Maria said putting her hands on her hips. Her fear starting to abate a little, given the fact she hadn’t been attacked by the monster before her yet. “Do you need help?”

And there it was, that feeling in his chest. Despite being a demon, he still felt it, warmth spreading up through him. This was why he was in love with her, because he was in love with her. Here she was enjoying her morning and where others might have hurt him, beaten him with a frying pan she’d come to the logical conclusion that because he hadn’t tried to eat her when she was unaware he must want something else. Only Maria would ask a 7ft beastly looking demon if he needed help, even when he was stood making whatever noises Giles was making at her, as it clearly wasn’t English.

“I can’t understand you, maybe, if you can understand me you can nod for yes, shake your head for no.” Maria suggested and Giles tried to stop his mouth picking up as he smiled. She moved closer to him then, very slowly, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes. “Rupert, is that you?”

Before he could nod though she turned away shaking her head.

“Don’t be stupid of course it’s not Rupert!” She chastised herself until he put a hand on her shoulder, almost causing her to drop to the floor. She turned back to face him, and her mouth dropped open slightly.

“Oh my god. I have so many questions about what happened even though I know you can’t communicate with me.” Forgetting herself Maria reached out to touch the bare skin of his new torso. “I much prefer the old one.” She said before catching herself and trying not to let her cheeks flush vermillion.

Good Lord why did he have to be shirtless in front of her in the guise of a demon. _Because none of your shirts would fit._ He corrected himself internally. Why did perfect moments to kiss her keep presenting themselves at inopportune times? For gods sake. As soon as he was back to normal he was storming back here and sweeping her into his arms and kissing her whether she liked it or not.

 _Sounding a bit sexually assaulty there buddy._ Giles heard Xander’s voice in his head.

 _Not what I meant._ Giles replied, arguing with himself internally. He hated so much that part of his innerself had taken on Xander’s voice.

“Okay, we have to get you back to, you and uhm I’m not sure- we need Willow and Buffy and Xander and ooh maybe Anya knows what this is. She’s good with the whole, demon thing.” Maria said but Giles was suddenly bolting for the door, as soldiers from the initiative went past the coffee shop. “I can hi-de you.” Maria started and the stopped because it was useless and he was already out the door.

Instead she moved to the phone and started to try and call Buffy and the others.

#?#

Giles knew exactly what he had to do now Buffy had gone, now he’d finished warning her to keep her eyes open. He needed to get his coat on, go to Merryton and tell Maria exactly how he felt about her. Even if he did feel a little like hell. Apparently even turning back into a human couldn’t stop the ache from fighting Ethan, Buffy and Riley the previous evening.

He pulled open the door to find Maria there with her fist raised ready to knock.

“Hi.” She said softly. She seemed nervous.

“I was just coming to er- to see you- come in.” He said pulling the door further open for her.

“Rupert I need to tell you something.” She said taking a breath.

“Maria, I-“ Giles started.

“No, please, please let me get this out. I need to say it or I won’t, I’ll chicken out.” Maria said. Gesticulating a little wildly. Giles leant back against the side table watching her with a half-smile on his face. There were currently two parts of him battling it out in his chest, one a ray of hope that she was about to confess her feelings, the other a bitter patch of dust that she was going to tell him she’d noticed how he felt and she didn’t feel the same.

“The thing is-“ Maria started. “The thing is-“ She said again trying to gather her confidence. “The thing is I think I seem to have, actually I know I have fallen a little bit, well actually not just a little bit, I’m almost certain I’m in love with you and I needed to tell you because after yesterday I jus- and I know you and Olivia have this thing and you’re probably in love with her and god why wouldn’t you be, she’s amazing and I’m not trying to come between you two I jus-”

Giles felt elation spread through his chest and he couldn’t have stopped the smile spreading across his face even if he’d wanted too. This was, well this was more than he’d hoped for. Like, fancy, there’s tension between us, in all the versions of this moment in his head he hadn’t imagined she’d say she loved him, or that she even thought she loved him.

“God I’m so selfish, I knew I was being selfish. I’m such an idiot.” Maria rambled to herself pacing backwards and forwards.

“Please say something.” Maria said quietly, looking down at her hands and playing with her fingers like she did every time she was nervous.

Maria was trying not to run, though it felt like there were ants crawling under her skin and she might vomit all over the floor. She couldn’t run, she opened shrodinger’s box and now they’d find out what was really in it. Then she could move on and maybe, maybe even look at moving back to New York if it came to that. If it was too awkward. She could feel the heat flushes her cheeks. The hot lump bopping in her throat that she was trying to swallow so she wouldn’t cry. She was worrying her thumb into her palm that it was starting to hurt.

“It’s funny.” Giles said.

And then there he was.

Giles took her hands gently to stop her, it should have eased the panic in her chest but given he still hadn’t said anything it didn’t.

“I was just on my way to tell you something rather similar.”


	19. Being Kissed Suits You

“I’m- I’m sorry I don’t-“ Maria was very aware of the fact that Giles still had hold of her hand. Very aware of how close he was to her but still her mind couldn’t untangle what he was saying. Couldn’t seem to fathom what it was he’d been on his way to tell her. She’d rambled a lot in that little monologue, more than she’d meant too. What if he wasn’t on his way to tell her he was in love with her but to tell her he was in love with Olivia. Could she really face that? Here, like this. Her mind raced and the seconds stretched between her question and his answer.

“Well, it would seem.” Giles started, lifting her chin with a crooked finger so she couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t focus on whatever was running through her head. “that I have fallen a little, well quite a lot actually, in love with you too.”

“Oh.” Maria felt her heart rate pick up exponentially in her chest, could Giles hear the thrumming in her ears the way she could? Could he feel the way her pulse had jumped, the butterflies that seemed to have exploded in her chest, the liquid happiness her blood seemed to have turned too.

“Oh indeed.” Giles replied leaning in to kiss her. Time seemed to slow to a haze that she’d only read about in books. He was going to kiss her. She was going to kiss Rupert and once she did she wasn’t going to want to stop. She knew that. His lips were a mere millimetre from hers, she wanted them to touch so badly but a thought struck her and she stopped him, pressing gently against his chest, pulling back slightly, though their faces were will close.

“Rupert we can’t-“ Maria said quietly. “what about Olivia? She’s your girlfriend.”

“No, she’s not.” Giles replied, still only inches from being able to kiss her. He could smell her hair, that beautiful robust smell it always had of her shampoo, coffee, tea and books. There was no other smell like it in the world. “She left, said she wasn’t coming back again to me, like that, because she saw how much I was in love with you.” He went to kiss her again and she spoke quietly, reaffirming every single reason he loved this woman before him. She was about to be able to kiss the man she had just confessed she loved, about to kiss him for the first time and she was worrying about his feelings.

“Oh, Rupert I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t think I’m sorry at all.” Giles replied.

The minute his lips touched hers, Maria felt the pull all the way down to her core. Fire beneath her skin seemed to follow his fingers up into her hair. His lips were softer than she’d expected, and they tasted like the Chamomile, Manuka Honey and Vanilla tea she’d given him for moments of calm. Did that mean he’d been nervous to tell her, nervous to kiss her? The thought brought her some comfort as she wound her hands around to the nape of his neck.

Giles hand slid to her waist and around her back, pulling her closer. He’d waited so long to do this, so long to have her in his arms and now it felt like it still wasn’t close enough. There was still too much in the way, his jacket, her coat, her jumper. God those infernal jumpers. She smelt like cocoa butter and the powder make-up she used. The lingering smell of books and tea was always all around her. Heat wound its way up his spine, flooding his chest.

When he pulled back they were both breathing heavy, Maria pulled a kiss plumped bottom lip between her teeth, mirroring his smile as he pressed his forehead against hers. His nose brushing hers. Why had he waited so long to do this? Why hadn’t he kissed her at prom? Why hadn’t he kissed her any of the times he could have?

“I didn’t think you could get anymore breath taking but being kissed suits you quite well.” Rupert said brushing hair back from her face. Maria smiled at the compliment.

“Getting shagged by a handsome librarian might suit me better.” Maria replied and the moment it was out of her mouth she grimaced and stepped away from him. Curling inwardly and feeling her whole body trying to retract inwards from her naval. She had just ruined what was perhaps one of the most romantic moments in her entire life. Giles was being all smooth and suave and then she- where had that even come from.

“I can’t believe I just said that, oh my god.” Maria put her hands to her forehead, resisting the urge to bang her head into the wall for good measure. “Where did that even come from?” She paced back and forth mortified as Giles watched on with a grin, chuckling and repeating the line to himself.

“Miss Bingley.” Giles said moving over and taking her hands to still her again, before cupping her face. “You seem very stressed for someone who’s just been kissed, especially when it was, by all accounts, a good kiss.”

“I can’t believe I said that- I jus-“ Giles cut her off, kissing her before she could go on and feeling the tension leave her jaw. He pulled her close again, feeling her breath hitch when he pressed their bodies back together.

“I thought you had rules.” Giles said gently.

Maria slipped away from him, and a flash of panic shot through him that he’d upset her. Maria slipped off her coat and shoes by the door. She stepped onto the first stair and he wondered if she was going to take anything else off. A thrill of lust went through him. Images of making her make that same noise she did when she ate good cake rolled through his mind. Only they’d be louder and more guttural, and he’d pull them from her for as long as she’d let him.

“Oh, that’s just for men who haven’t taken me to prom.” Maria smiled at him. “If you’d rather wait?” She offered with a coyness he’d never seen before, but that caused his insides to twist in a delicious greedy way.

“No, I would bloody not.” Giles replied.


	20. A New Beginning

Maria opened her eyes to Giles watching her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Good Morning." He said softly.

"Good Morning." She smiled back chewing her bottom lip. "Oh god, do I have morning breath." She said bringing her hand up to her face.

"Not at all." Giles replied, the pads of his fingers gently brushing across her temples and making Maria close her eyes with a satisfied smile. "Last night was-" Giles said letting his fingers trace her face. "I don't know why we waited so long."

"Fear of rejection." Maria replied taking in every millimetre of his face, lines she'd never noticed before because she'd never been able to be close enough.

"I was going to make you breakfast and then I got distracted." Giles was unable to take his eyes off her. He was still half convinced he was dreaming. That he was going to wake up to an empty bed or some demon induced fantasy meant to torture him.

"American or English?" Maria asked scooting herself closer and brushing her nose against his.

"Tea and Toast on a tray." Giles kissed her, softly at first until Maria wound her fingers up into his hair and tugged gently. "You were right." Giles said rolling them over so Maria was trapped beneath him.

Maria cocked her head just slightly at him as his fingers tickled down her sides.

"Getting shagged by a librarian does suit you." He said into her lips before kissing her again.

The day was lazy. Spent touching each other, even just holding hands and gentle kisses to foreheads. Between soft touches under sheets and passionate explorations against walls and stairs Giles and Maria lay tangled up in each other reading. It was almost perfection.

Giles was grateful in a way that Buffy and the others were busier with their own lives. Though he'd felt lonely and isolated before, now he relished in there being no interruptions.

_**The End...** _

_**for now.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I adore writing Maria and Giles it's one of my favourite fics to keep up with.  
> HOWEVER, I've taken the decision to end this fic here, because I think it's a nice place to finish. They have their Happy For Now moment.
> 
> The reason I've taken this decision is because my life has become busier recently (working on original fiction, my job, starting to build a platform so I can move into indie publishing) ALSO I stopped watching Buffy. I hit a point in Season 6 where I knew (because I'd read what happened) that there was nothing but heartache for the rest of the season. Honestly I wanted to pause (because I have the option) and just leave it there, at the point where things are mostly good and okay.
> 
> BUT
> 
> that does not mean it is the end of the road for Maria and Giles or their stories. I had a few scenes and adventures in my head that I wanted to play out, the problem was I no longer have the time to commit to creating a full sort of story arc for them. Instead I've decided to write them as snapshots/episodes. So I'll be posting those when I can.
> 
> So keep your eyes peeled for Giles and Maria adventures that include (but are not limited too); Maria becoming a werewolf, a succubus trying for Giles, Girls nights out for Anya, Tara and Maria. Singing Giles, Badass Giles, Hurt Giles, and maybe JUST MAYBE, I might throw a baby in there...
> 
> Thank you for the reviews and likes and such!

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoyed? Want to see more? Why not follow the story, leave a review or even just kudos! They're the lifeblood of writers after all! :)


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